What did we learn from the Warriors escaping the Rockets?

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 20: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the game against the Houston Rockets during Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 20, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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SACRAMENTO, CA – JANUARY 8: Zaza Pachulia #27, Kevin Durant #35, Draymond Green #23, Stephen Curry #30 and Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors face off against the Sacramento Kings on January 8, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. The Warriors are beatable

As long as Andre Iguodala is injured.

For all the talk about the Warriors ruining basketball, they were there for the taking in this series. If Chris Paul doesn’t get injured at the end of Game 5 and miss the next two games, this may have been a completely different column. The Warriors are headed to their fourth-straight Finals, but they faced adversity for the first time in the Kevin Durant era. And that may give hope to the rest of the league heading into next season.

If 29 other teams can do what the Rockets did, maybe they can beat the Warriors next season. All the other teams need to do in the offseason is get stars, shooting, and defense. Oh yeah, you have to survive the Warriors third quarter onslaught in order to keep it a single-digit game in the final three minutes. That’s when the Warriors forget how to play basketball.

One more thing. You have got to stay healthy. Simple, right?

The Rockets did expose some weaknesses in Golden State, but much of that weakness was self-inflicted (looking at you, Durant isolation plays). You don’t win games by 30 and 40 points and then choke at home if you’re playing consistent basketball. The Warriors inability to find consistency in crunch time has been a problem for the last two seasons. No one paid attention because they were winning 90 percent of games by double-digits and we were all too busy writing “Warriors are winning the next ten championships” articles.

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