HOUSTON — There is something appropriate about the Houston Rockets‘ championship aspirations hinging upon the availability of guard Chris Paul.
His right hamstring strain could not only shift the balance of the Western Conference Finals
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Paul, acquired by the Rockets last offseason to provide the backcourt depth required to challenge the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, departed with
22.4 seconds remaining in Houston’s 98-94 win in Game 5 at Toyota Center and sat
out Golden State’s 115-86 win in Game 6 at Oracle Arena.
With Game 7 set for Monday at Toyota Center, Paul was listed as questionable by Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who described the rehab process as going good on
Sunday.
According to D’Antoni, Paul had yet to test the hamstring and has only received treatment.
Team doctors will re-evaluate Paul on Monday, with the decision on his availability to be determined by tipoff. The Rockets raced to a 17-point lead in
the first quarter of Game 6 only to run out of steam without Paul present to
alleviate the pressure on fellow guards James Harden and Eric Gordon. Houston
produced a paltry 25 points in the second half of their 115-86 setback.
“The bottom line is we can’t turn it over and we need to do a better job,” D’Antoni said of the Rockets’ 21 turnovers in Game 6, with Harden (nine) and
Gordon (five) responsible for two-thirds of that total. “But we knew this was
hard. They’re champs. They were going to come back fighting and they did their
part.
“I think the turnovers got them (the Warriors) going. And then once you get them going and they get out of the box, and we didn’t communicate real well two
or three times, and then they just got on a roll. If you get these guys on a
roll then they can hurt you. And they did.”
The Warriors have never lacked confidence in this series, even while falling into a 3-2 deficit. However, their decisive victory in Game 6 served to
reinforce the reality of what happens when they are at their best, especially
with the Rockets short-handed missing such a significant piece.
Golden State has survived without veteran swingman Andre Iguodala, who has missed the last three games of the series and is questionable for the finale
with a left lateral leg contusion. Center Kevon Looney (sore left toe) is also
questionable
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“I feel like we’re the best team in the world and the most fun team to watch when we’re pushing that ball and getting defensive stops, making the simple
play,” said Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who scored a game-high 35 points while
sinking nine 3-pointers.
“We’ve got too much talent not just to hit singles like coach (Steve Kerr) always says and trust the next man ahead of us because it will end up working in
our favor most of the time.”
Shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, including 16 of 38 on 3-pointers while producing 26 assists on 43 field goals, the Warriors again featured the offense
that ran roughshod over the NBA. When the Warriors get rolling, the only thing
that appears capable of slowing their progress is their own complacency.
“I thought we could have gotten this done earlier,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “I think in Game 4 we kind of gave the game away, and in Game 5 I
think we gave the game away. But nonetheless, we know how good of a ballclub
they are, and we knew that it wasn’t going to be easy.
“So you never want to go to Game 7, but when you’re down 3-2, you definitely want to do.”
After Game 6, D’Antoni revisited a moment from the offseason when the team convened in the Bahamas. He asked, rhetorically
Johnathan Joseph Jersey , if the Rockets would take a Game 7 on their home court against the Warriors and, in a heartbeat, D’Antoni acknowledged the
benefit of that scenario.
Despite their injury concerns and even against the significant odds of defeating Golden State a fourth time, the Rockets have the Warriors right where
they want them. Finishing the series with a victory won’t be easy, but it will
be made easier hosting that showdown in Houston.
“We’ve got a whole city behind us and they are as loyal as they come,” Harden said. “Game 7 in H-town. Let’s get it.”
Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia walked briskly onto a field for his first NFL training camp in charge with a
black cap, black pullover and black shorts while a yellow pencil was nestled
over his right ear.
And, he didn't waste any time sending messages on Friday.
Patricia pulled aside safety Tavon Wilson, one of many former New England Patriots now in the Motor City, to say a few words early in practice.
Wilson, knowing Patricia expects everyone to always hustle, listened to what Patricia had to say and then sprinted to rejoin his teammates on another
field.
After speaking briefly with team president Rod Wood, the new coach tried to connect with as many players as possible as they stretched out and warmed up. He
chatted with some, slapped hands with others and simply tapped helmets as he
roamed with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face.
During drills, Patricia spent time with many of the position groups to evaluate quietly or teach with words and gestures.
While Patricia tried to sound businesslike in his news conference before practice
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"When you walk out on the field again, the painted lines, the fresh cut grass, all of that sort of atmosphere around it, it's exciting," he said. "If
you have been in this game a long time, it takes you back years to when whether
you were playing or first started coaching or even just a little kid running
around."
The Lions have been around .500 in recent years, winning nine games in each of the past two years after averaging nine wins over the previous two
seasons.
That was not enough for Jim Caldwell to keep his job with the franchise for a fifth season.
The Lions fired Caldwell and hired Patricia shortly after last season, hoping some of what he learned as one of Bill Belichick's top assistants will rub off
on a team with one playoff victory in 60-plus years.
Even though Detroit made only subtle roster changes , linebacker Jarrad Davis said the major move made on the sideline may make an impact.
"It can be a huge difference," Davis said. "The way he came in, honestly, just set the tone right away. You know, he came in, he laid down the law. He
gave us the rules and he came in with energy. ... He came in
Cody Kessler Jersey , made it clear, gave us the expectations. And now we have something we can chase."
Davis declined to say what the Lions are chasing, and Patricia has insisted he is only interested in talking about small-picture goals such as making the
most out of each day.
Even though Patricia has not ever led an NFL team, a veteran coach who gave him a pivotal opportunity many years ago believes he is ready.
Detroit defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, who hired Patricia as a graduate assistant at Syracuse in 2001, said he knew he would be working for a
high-energy, bright coach when he accepted the offer. What he didn't know was
how detail-oriented Patricia would be as a head coach.
Patricia has a detailed planned for everything, Pasqualoni said, including the team's hydration and nutrition plan.
"Until you work with him there's no way of knowing that," Pasqualoni said.
NOTES: The Lions put LB Devon Kennard and DE Cornelius Washington on the non-football injury list. ... DE Ezekiel Ansah is on the physically unable to
perform list.
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