San Francisco – Stephen Curry was held to just 3 points, Draymond Green had five fouls, and the Warriors winning streak came to an end with a 106–96 loss to the Houston Rockets. Golden State came out flat from the start and looked drained, showing little of the energy that fueled their five-game win streak.
“They were great, ball pressure,” said Steve Kerr on the Rockets. “They forced 20 turnovers. They’ve been one of the hottest teams in the league and probably the best defensive team in the league this last month and they took it to us. They were great tonight.”
Curry struggled from the start, missing shots during his pregame warmup, and the cold streak carried into the game. Houston defended him well, holding him to just one made shot for 3 points across all four quarters. He failed to connect from beyond the arc, a rare sight for the veteran sharpshooter.
Buddy Hield knocked down six threes and finished with 20 points in just 25 minutes, providing the spark that kept Golden State in the game. But the Warriors’ 20 turnovers proved too much to overcome, as they ended the third quarter trailing 83–76 and couldn’t claw their way back.
Things got chippy in the second half between Green and Houston center Alperen Şengün, who posted 19 points and 14 rebounds. Green received a controversial flagrant 1 foul, and was later hit with a questionable charge while attempting to block Şengün.
The Warriors’ loss tonight dropped them to the 6th seed in the standings, creating a four-way tie with the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies. With only four games left in the regular season, every game matters. Golden State is looking to avoid the play-in tournament and secure a playoff spot by finishing 6th or higher.
Photo by GSW/X
