Instant analysis: The Warriors are on the verge of collapse after losing to the Rockets for the second consecutive game and are forced to snatch 7

According to Nico Martinez, senior contributor of US sports media F/W. The Golden State Warriors lost to the Rockets at home, missing out on the chance to end the series. At the Chase Center in San Francisco, the Warriors and Rockets fought fiercely tonight in the pivotal Game 6 of the first round. The Warriors led Houston 3-2 and had a chance to win at home to finish the series tonight, and they had everything they needed to secure a victory and advance to the second round, but the situation was unexpected! The game started with the Rockets' 25 points, and the Rockets led by 4 points early after the first 12 minutes. The game was still close before halftime, and the Warriors even closed the gap with an impressive third-quarter performance. However, the Warriors were unable to stand up and secure their victory, losing Game 6 by 8 points (115-107), laying the foundation for Game 7.

VanVleet became the Rockets' number one scorer with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, shooting 53.8% from the field while Shin Kyung scored 21 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists with a 40.0% shooting percentage. Young swingman Amen Thompson contributed 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals with 38.5% shooting percentage.

Warriors, Curry scored 29 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists with 39.1% shooting percentage, while Butler scored 27 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists with 41.2% shooting percentage. Green scored 8 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists with 37.5% shooting percentage. The Warriors and Rockets were almost evenly matched in this Western Conference’s most important playoff showdown, maximizing the competitiveness and intensity of the series.

Curry's role in both offense and defense was offset by the Warriors' only way to go how far they were Curry leading them, and it wasn't very far tonight. Although he successfully scored 26 points, six rebounds and one assist tonight, Curry had poor shooting and organizational skills, shooting 38.1% from the field in the 38-minute game, had four turnovers, plus-minus -10, and forced shots to completely kill the Warriors' momentum. Defensively, Curry gave 27 points to Van Vritte, who shot 6-9 in the game and fired.

As Curry struggled on the offensive end and made almost no effort on the defensive end, the Warriors could not find the rhythm in the game, and Butler alone was not enough to make up for the gap. Curry is becoming increasingly unstable at the age of 37, which is a bad sign for the team’s trajectory in the near future.

Cole's paranoid little ball play is punished

Big man depth has been a problem for the Warriors and continues to hinder them this season. With no suitable center in the rotation, Cole had to put Green in the position full time, which led to some pretty bad results. In Game 6, the Warriors used small balls almost the entire game, which cost them the rebounding price. They let the Rockets grab rebounds (46-42) and there is no limit at all, as Houston's big guy has his own way at the basket. The Warriors have had a lot of success in small balls in the past, but tonight proved that this strategy is no longer effective in the Western Conference, filled with elite big men such as Shinkyung, Jokic, Gobert and Homegren. Cole must make a lineup change in the first game of life and death.

role players can't stand up

If there's one thing that the Warriors are clear tonight, it's that their current role players aren't enough to win another championship. In the modern NBA, depth is everything, but after Curry, Butler and Green, the Warriors really have no other person to rely on, and tonight’s defeat proves that.

Despite starting tonight, Payton II and Hilder combined for only five points on 2-9 shots. Moody scored just 13 points on the bench with 38.5% shooting percentage, while Pojemski scored 10 points on the court, 4-9. As a team, the Warriors shot a poor 38.4% from the field and all their top eight players shot less than 45%. Tonight, depth is everything about the Rockets, and their role players stood up in ways that the other side could not do.

The Warriors are expected to win the series after leading the Rockets 3-1. However, now, after losing two consecutive games, the Warriors are pushed to the edge of the cliff by their opponents. Who will advance in this round of series, let us wait and see the tiebreak battle between the two sides!