Rockets’ season ends and the truth comes out

9:54 AM ET

OAKLAND, Calif. — With the Houston Rockets’ season finally over after a 114-81 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the truth was finally uttered in the locker room.

“The season from the beginning wasn’t going our way,” James Harden said. “We had too many distractions, a bumpy road this entire season.”

A team with fantastic chemistry in Golden State won the first-round series 4-1. Klay Thompson led the way with 27 points as the Warriors, minus Stephen Curry, shot 54.9 percent from the floor. The Rockets played the Warriors without Curry four times this season, winning just once. Harden was the only offense for the Rockets, scoring 35 points on 12-of-23 shots from the field. The Rockets’ star guard was alone, very alone on the offensive end in noisy Oracle Arena.

Dwight Howard was laughing here, but things on Wednesday night, and most of the season, were hardly enjoyable for the Rockets. Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports

Dwight Howard, potentially playing his last game with the Rockets, finished with eight points and 21 meaningless rebounds, missing 10 of 13 shots. Trevor Ariza, dreadful in this series, missed 7 of 8 shots, including all seven of his 3-point attempts.

Donatas Motiejunas finished with seven points and Patrick Beverley, playing with a sore hamstring, finished 1-for-5 for two points. Jason Terry, the man who guaranteed a victory in Game 5, missed all seven of his shots.

So where was the other offense for the Rockets? Well, Michael Beasley, the late-season signing by GM Daryl Morey, …

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