Inside The Rockets

Rockets Have Plan Ahead of Game 4 vs. Warriors

The Houston Rockets hope to get back in the series against the Golden State Warriors.
Jeremy Brener|
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry knocks the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry knocks the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets find themselves trailing 2-1 in their best-of-seven series against the Golden State Warriors, who are led by four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry.

It's a scary position to be in, especially for a team that hasn't participated in a playoff series together, but Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, a one-time NBA champion himself, has a calming message for his teammates ahead of a critical Game 4.

“I think every chance you don’t win a game you feel like you could win is a missed opportunity,” VanVleet said via The Athletic insider Kelly Iko.

“This is an experienced group that they have. It’s been a good team for the second half of the year. We knew that they were going to respond with a guy out, as any good team will. There’s no scrubs in the playoffs right now. Yes, it’s definitely a missed opportunity, but we can’t really have that viewpoint. We have to bounce back and get ready for Monday.”

The Rockets cannot change the past, but they can manipulate how they feel about Game 4, and that mindset could be the difference between winning and losing the matchup.

“Stay together,” Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr. said via Iko. “We good. Regroup, man.”

The Rockets will return to the floor for tonight's Game 4 against the Warriors, which tips off at 9 p.m. CT from inside the Chase Center in San Francisco. Fans can watch the game on TNT or TruTV or stream it on the Max app.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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