Austin Rivers: Rockets Didn't Celebrate, Locker Room 'Quiet' After Warriors Win

The Houston Rockets are all business. 

The Rockets kept themselves alive in their Western Conference semifinal showdown with the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday, winning 126-121 in overtime, but there was no celebrating in the locker room after the crucial victory.

"We are in good spirits but no one was celebrating," Rockets guard Austin Rivers said, per Martin Rogers of USA Today. "When we came back in (the locker room) we were quiet. We are playing the best team in the league and we are trying to be the best team in the league. To do that the focus has got to be high. Every game is going to be a dogfight."

The win pulled the Rockets to 2-1 in the series, and a 3-0 deficit would have almost assuredly been insurmountable given no team in NBA history has ever won a postseason series after losing the first three games.

Certainly, erasing that deficit against the two-time defending champions would have been a monumental task. Even overcoming their current 2-1 deficit against the Warriors will be a struggle.

"We have got to fight," Rockets forward P.J. Tucker said. "To beat them you got to fight to the last second. Fight for every possession, fight for every 50-50 ball the whole game. 

"We got to play harder than this. We won but it is not enough. Be more aggressive. Be closer to Steph Curry when he's dribbling, get into (Kevin Durant) when he is dribbling, hit people on box outs. It is basketball, not rocket science."

It helps when James Harden scores 41 points, as he did Saturday, or when Eric Gordon scores 30. That helped mitigate Kevin Durant's 46 points. It also helps when the Rockets can hold Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to under 20 points each and just 4-of-15 shooting from three.

Those two won't be decalibrated from deep for the entire series, however. To beat the Warriors requires near perfection, which is why the Rockets weren't celebrating. There's still plenty of work to be done.

Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.