“Took us 83 games, but we did it! See y’all in Houston!” That’s what Stephen Curry said on Instagram after making it to the playoffs by beating the Grizzlies. Now he’s getting started on the postseason challenges, going against the Houston Rockets. But Steph is no stranger to facing the Rockets in the playoffs.
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However, this time, his team is far from being the favorite. On TNT, the Inside the NBA crew discussed their picks in the Warriors-Rockets series. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley butted heads with one another over their different picks.
Chuck said that he sees huge potential in the young Rockets team. They finished the regular season as the second seed in the West with a 52-30 record. Barkley believes that Ime Udoka has done a tremendous job with this team, and they will manage to get the better of the Warriors.
He said, “I’m taking the Rockets, not just tonight, to win the series.” Chuck’s prediction failed in Game 1 of the series as the Warriors registered a 95-85 win over the Rockets. The team full of youngsters was dominated by the veterans. Being inexperienced in terms of championships is bound to play a huge role in the remaining six games as well.
Which is why Shaq is going with the Warriors. He said, “I think it’s a big factor. I like experience, especially championship experience. Nobody is expecting Golden State to win.” Shaq is seeing a perfect recipe for success on the Golden State roster. He believes that if Jimmy Butler can average 20-25 points per game throughout the series, half their job would be done.
In addition to that, he is expecting the Chef to be “Super Steph” for his team one more time. Steph registered 37/8/4 in the play-in game, which was a great sign for the team. However, Shaq had some concerns about his last performance against the Rockets, where he only managed 3/2/8. Other than that, Shaq has no doubt that the Warriors will move to the next round: “I’m always good with Chef Curry.”
Steph turned it around in Game 1 against the Rockets. He scored 31 points with six rebounds and three assists. Butler also came through for his team with 25/7/6. So, it seems like Shaq’s prediction is well on track so far.
Curry and Co. will also have a mental edge over the Rockets. Even though they’ve been the better team this season, his postseason record against the Houston franchise is commendable. From 2015 to 2019, they met four times in the playoffs. The Warriors have a 17-7 record against the Rockets, including tonight’s win.
