Rockets lose to Warriors for 15th straight matchup

The Houston Rockets lost 99-93 to the Golden State Warriors.

This match started out very similar to the last time these two teams met. Houston started 2-for-16 from the field. Jonathan Kuminga started 2-for-3 from three, leading Golden State to a quick 11-5 lead.

A timeout was called after Houston’s slow start by Ime Udoka. From there, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard and Steven Adams checked in. All three made an immediate impact, with Thompson standing out from the three. He hit a quick corner three to cut the lead to 14-11, but Golden State managed to turn it into a 16-11 lead. Thompson made his second corner three to tie the game at 17-18, then made a two-point shot to give Houston a one-point lead.

Mistakes killed the Rockets in the second quarter. Their biggest lead was four and they had the momentum after a three and then a dunk from Dillon Brooks. However, Houston was unable to make it.

Up four, Brooks fouled Andrew Wiggins on a three, which he made. He went on to make and-a free throw, tying the game. Golden State took a two-point lead and Wiggins was fouled on a three by Jabari Smith Jr. this time. He converted the and-one, and the half ended with a 49-43 score. Another drawback that led to Houston losing their lead and shooting just 37% in the half was shot selection. Instead of making the extra pass to get an open shot, players took every available shot. Wiggins had 15 points in the first 24 minutes of the game. As for the Rockets, Thompson had 11.

Golden State went 5-for-9 to start the second half and Houston started 2-for-10. Just like the last time they met, Houston couldn’t defend them beyond the arc. The Warriors built a 10-point lead early in the third quarter and extended their lead to 12.

After cutting the lead to four in the first quarter, thanks to Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, Houston’s defense was still nowhere to be found. The Rockets were unable to stop Golden State due to their incredible off-ball movement, but luck struck when the Warriors missed their shots. When their lead was cut, they went on a 6-0 run to regain a seven-point lead.

Brooks hit a three with 4:38 left in the game to cut the Warriors’ lead to just two, but then the Warriors went on an 8-0 run. This happened again with under two minutes remaining as the Rockets cut the lead to four. Golden State regained a five-point lead with 36.6 seconds left in the game. Aaron Holiday and Thompson closed the game in place of Alperen Sengun and Green. Houston shot 37.6% from the field and 26.3% from three, which ultimately led to their loss.

The Rockets play the LA Clippers on Sunday at the Intuit Dome. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CST.

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