In a commanding performance, the Golden State Warriors secured a 95-85 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, marking the opening round of their playoff series. Stephen Curry led the charge for the Warriors, scoring 31 points as the team, seeded seventh, dominated early on. They established a significant 23-point lead by the third quarter.
Despite being the second seed, Houston mounted a comeback, reducing the deficit to 69-60 by the end of the third quarter. A pivotal moment came when Amen Thompson’s basket brought the Rockets within four points with just over five minutes remaining. However, Curry responded decisively with his fifth three-pointer of the night, extending the lead to 82-75.
The Rockets managed to cut the gap to four again with a three-pointer from Fred VanVleet with approximately two and a half minutes to go. Yet, Moses Moody answered back with a three-pointer, initiating a 7-0 run that firmly put the Warriors ahead 91-80, prompting many fans to leave the arena early.
The second game of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Wednesday night in Houston.
This victory not only gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the series but also marked the 100th career playoff win for coach Steve Kerr, tying him with Larry Brown for the sixth-most playoff victories in coaching history. Curry’s performance was impressive, hitting 12 of 19 from the field and 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Jimmy Butler, making his playoff debut for the Warriors after being traded from Miami in February, contributed significantly with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 26 points in his inaugural postseason appearance. However, the team struggled overall, with VanVleet and Jalen Green combining for only 7 of 34 shooting. The Rockets were ineffective from long range, making just 6 of 29 three-point attempts, and their free throw performance was similarly subpar, hitting 11 of 20.
The Warriors entered the playoffs after earning their spot with a 121-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament. This latest win adds to their history of playoff victories over the Rockets, whom they have previously eliminated four times between 2015 and 2019.