Warriors remind Rockets who is the team to beat in conference finals

HOUSTON -- It feels like a million years ago now -- especially in light of the Golden State Warriors' dominating 119-106 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of these Western Conference finals on Monday night -- but there was a point late in the regular season when the Warriors were genuinely worried this group just might not be able to rediscover its groove when the time came.

"Yeah," general manager Bob Myers told ESPN after Monday's game. "Was I worried? My first thought was, 'Yes.' But my second thought was, 'Have they let us down yet?'"

Myers said he and head coach Steve Kerr talked about Golden State's sputtering finish to the regular season, when they lost 10 of their last 17 games, and decided, "'We have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They've earned that.'"

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