Rockets relive nightmare in loss to Warriors

Houston Rockets fans were having a case of Deja Vu against the Warriors tonight.

It was not a pleasant one.

The Warriors hit them with a barrage of three-pointers that Rockets faithful haven't seen since 2017. Steph Curry hit some shots that defied our understanding of human potential. Although it was different than 2017 in one way:

Time is a flat circle. The Rockets played their hearts out. Their role players put their bodies on the line to secure a win.

They just couldn't beat the Warriors

Rockets fans relive nightmare vs Warriors

Realistically, finding a Rocket who played well in this one is like looking for a needle in a haystack (or, a basket in the Chase Center). Jabari Smith had a solid outing with 12 points on 4/8 shooting from the field and 3/5 shooting from downtown.

Amen Thompson's struggles in the halfcourt continued. He had 9 points on 4/13 shooting. Thompson came the closest to containing Curry of any Rocket on the perimeter, but he was a one-way player in this game.

Rockets fans shouldn't panic. Thompson is a sophomore. It would be remiss to review this game without mentioning that he played poorly.

Realistically, finding a Rocket who played well in this one is like looking for a needle in a haystack (or, a basket in the Chase Center). Jabari Smith had a solid outing with 12 points on 4/8 shooting from the field and 3/5 shooting from downtown.

That's about as good as it gets. It wasn't enough to earn Smith Jr. the status of best wing on the floor. That came from an unexpected place.

Gary Payton II had 14 points on 6/8 shooting from the field and 2/3 shooting from the field. He also offered his typically stout defense and hustle. He was a handful for this Rockets team. Worst of all, Payton II put the game to bed with a reverse slam with seconds left on the clock.

Still, Curry was the engine. He had 34 points on 12/23 shooting from the field. His 5/13 shooting from deep was suboptimal, but he was still the best offensive player on the floor in this one.

The stakes were high, and the Warriors' championship pedigree prevailed.

What happens now?

Rockets must let cooler heads prevail

To my eye, this felt like the Rockets' worst game of this series so far.

The outcome was roughly similar to Game 1, but the process was different. The Rockets mustered up a furious comeback in Game 1. In Game 3, it felt like they just could not figure it out.

That doesn't mean they're out of this series. They owe the Warriors a home loss. This will be a critical Game 4 for Houston, but with adjustments, they have an opportunity to tie this up.

Here's hoping the nightmare ends.