Paul not satisfied with Rockets' series-tying win: 'We've got to be better'
Color Chris Paul unimpressed despite his Houston Rockets tying their second-round series with the Golden State Warriors at two games apiece Monday.
"Yeah, we won the game, but we've got to be better," Paul said after the 112-108 win, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "We understand that. Going back to the Bay, they're probably not going to miss those shots."
The Rockets failed to secure a victory in the first two games in Oakland but recovered at home against the two-time defending champions behind 41- and 38-point games by reigning MVP James Harden.
Houston was up by as much as 15 points in the fourth quarter before the Warriors went on a late run to close the gap to two points. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry each missed potential game-tying 3-point attempts within the final 10 seconds of the contest.
Rockets forward P.J. Tucker shared Paul's sentiment and noted that their intensity level can't dip when they go back on the road for Game 5 on Wednesday.
"We played OK and we got some wins, but we've got to be better," Tucker added. "We've got to be more aggressive. We've got to play faster the whole game. We've got to pick it up. ... I'm going to tell you right now, we've got to be more intense the next game."
Tucker's play has been crucial for the Rockets through nine postseason games as the team has been 20.1 points per 100 possessions better with the 34-year-old on the floor. He finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in Game 4.
The Rockets owned a 3-2 series lead over the Warriors in the 2018 Western Conference final before losing the next two games.