On that day, the NBA regular season was in full swing, with the Golden State Warriors waiting at home to face off against the Houston Rockets. Prior to this game, the Warriors had a record of 12 wins and 8 losses, ranking 5th in the Western Conference. However, they had not been doing well recently, suffering five consecutive losses. Curry's offensive momentum this season has not been strong, averaging only 22.6 points, which is the lowest he has scored in the past 11 seasons. The newly recruited Hield's efficiency from beyond the arc is not as high as it was at the beginning of the season. The Warriors are also short-handed in the frontcourt, and they have the lowest free throw percentage in the league so far, at only 70.3%, which is 14 percentage points lower than the Knicks, who rank first in the league. Given this situation, it will be quite challenging for the Warriors to establish another dynasty and make a run for the championship.
On the other side, the Rockets entered the game with a record of 15 wins and 7 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference. The Rockets' performance this season has been quite surprising, as they have transformed from a weak team two years ago into one capable of making the playoffs. Looking at the Rockets' lineup, it is mostly young players without a clear leader. For example, Jalen Green, who averages the most points, has not performed well overall this season, often getting carried away and lacking efficiency. However, the Rockets often have other players step up, and according to statistics, seven different players have scored the most points in a single game this season, showing that everyone can contribute and each player is like the team's second-in-command. In this game, the starting lineup for the Rockets was:
VanVleet, Jalen Green, Brooks, Smith, and Shen Jing representing the Rockets, while the Warriors fielded Poole, Hield, Wiggins, Kuminga, and Looney. Curry rested for this game. At the start of the first quarter, Looney won the tip-off, giving the Warriors possession first. Kuminga hit a fadeaway jumper, scoring the first basket of the game. Smith confidently shot a three-pointer from the top of the arc, also scoring for the Rockets. Kuminga was feeling particularly hot, sinking two consecutive threes. Wiggins used a pick-and-roll to squeeze into the paint and threw down a powerful dunk. Dillon made a difficult layup with a reverse spin. Poole sank a three-pointer from the wing. The Warriors started strong, leading by about 10 points. At this point, Thompson sank a three-pointer from the corner, helping the Rockets stop the bleeding somewhat.
For a while after that, both teams were not very effective on offense. However, Sheppard made an outside shot, and Li Kaili slowly dribbled in for a layup, scoring at the end of the first quarter, with the Rockets leading the Warriors 22-18 by four points. At the start of the second quarter, Little Payton leapt high for a successful putback, scoring first for the Warriors. Poole broke through head-on and made a jump shot at the free throw line, scoring two points. Kuminga dribbled past half court, made contact, and hit a floater. Sheppard changed direction and drove to the basket, making a little floater. Hield took advantage of a screen and decisively shot a three-pointer, which went in cleanly. Shen Jing used a Eurostep to shake off his defender and easily scored with a left-handed high shot. Holiday also made a super long three-pointer. By the middle of the second quarter, the Warriors began to increase their offensive intensity and regained control.
Wiggins was able to score from anywhere, and Kuminga also charged into the paint to score. At halftime, the Warriors led the Rockets 49-43 by six points. In the second half, the teams switched sides and continued playing. Looni didn't care about anything else, shooting and grabbing rebounds for himself, throwing down a dunk to kick off the third quarter. Kuminga took big steps into the paint, flying in for a layup and then scoring two more points with a floater after contact. Wiggins was still feeling hot, nailing a chase-down three-pointer cleanly. Poole used a screen to sink an open three-pointer. Jalen Green's physical abilities are good, and his alley-oop ignited the crowd. Davis waited under the basket, easily scoring with a dunk. The Warriors maintained control throughout, keeping a lead of about 10 points. At the end of the third quarter, the Warriors led the Rockets 73-66 by seven points.
In the final decisive quarter, Kuminga was unstoppable, making mid-to-long-range shots from all angles, which no one could stop! The Rockets did not give up, persistently keeping the score close. In the crucial moments, Hield and Kuminga made breakthroughs and shots, performing exceptionally bravely to secure the victory for the Warriors. In the end, the Warriors defeated the Rockets 99-93, ending their five-game losing streak. Additionally, the Mavericks have the same record as the Rockets, both with 15 wins and 8 losses, tied for second place in the West.
Let's take a look at the stats. On the Rockets' side, Alperen Şengün scored 16 points with 8 rebounds and 5 assists; Dillon Brooks scored 15 points with 3 rebounds; Amen Thompson had 14 points; Jalen Green scored 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and also had 4 steals; Fred VanVleet scored 13 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. On the Warriors' side, Jonathan Kuminga was fierce, scoring 33 points with 6 rebounds; Andrew Wiggins also performed well, scoring 23 points and grabbing 9 rebounds; Brandon Poole had 8 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists; Kevin Looney scored 4 points but had 11 rebounds and 3 assists; Li Kaili scored 8 points.