Mike D’Antoni says Rockets ‘played soft’ in Game 3 against the Warriors

Heading into Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, the Houston Rockets looked to finally have grabbed some momentum in the series after a convincing win over the Golden State Warriors. However, the Warriors responded in a major way on Sunday night with a resounding 41-point margin of victory in a 126-85 blowout, which was largest in team playoff history.

Following the contest, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni gave a harsh analysis of his team’s effort in the disappointing loss stating that they played soft, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“It’s just one thing led to another,” D’Antoni said. “Played soft, actually. I mean, you can’t do that with these guys. These guys are good.”

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The Warriors held control throughout the game shooting 52.2 percent from the field including 40.6 percent from beyond the arc while holding a 56-40 edge in the points in the paint and 23-10 advantage in fast-break points with just eight turnovers.

Golden State also finished with six players in double figures with two-time league MVP Stephen Curry finally breaking through with his best offensive performance of the series with a team-best 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field and five made three-pointers with 18 points coming in the third quarter.

NBA Playoff Futures

Meanwhile, the Rockets struggled in nearly all aspects of the game hitting just 39.5 percent of their shots from the field along with 32.4 percent from beyond the arc. This included committing more turnovers (20) than recorded assists (19). Their All-Star backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul combined for just 12-of-36 shooting from the floor while going 4-of-14 from three-point range.

This now sets the table for a highly critical Game 4 for the Rockets on Tuesday night that should have a massive impact on how the rest of the Western Conference Finals plays out.