The Rockets had a basic rule for defending Stephen Curry in which they didn't allow anyone to help onto him when Clint Capela was matched up against him on a switch. The Rockets were prepared to live with Curry converting contested layups because open three-pointers would kill them, according to Jeff Bzdelik.

"It's like you're in a boat with three holes in the bottom," Bzdelik says of defending Golden State, "and you only have two pegs to plug them. You just have to keep moving the pegs around."

The Rockets practiced how and when to help off Golden State's non-shooters and had rules for specific situations.

The Cavaliers are attempting to follow a similar strategy but with inferior personnel.