The Golden State Warriors (42-34) beat the Houston Rockets (38-38) 133 to 110 away from home last Thursday night (4) in a direct duel for the last spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
With the victory, the Warriors opened a four-game lead over the Rockets. This distance was only one game, but Golden State’s six consecutive victories and Houston’s three consecutive defeats put the current distance back.
Both teams have six games left in the season. If the Warriors win four of these games, they will guarantee a spot in the play-in, regardless of the Rockets’ performance.
The Warriors’ triumph in Houston had a decisive participation by the “Splash Brothers”. Stephen Curry scored 29 points, six rebounds, six assists and 9-14 shots from the field, while Klay Thompson scored 29 points and 7-11 on three-point shots.
For the Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. was the scorer, with 24 points, followed by 17 points from Cam Whitmore.
Golden State’s dominance in the match was from end to end and based on offensive dominance. The use of shots from the field showed 47-80 with 58.8% compared to 36-86 with 41.9% for the Rockets. In three-balls, the performance was 17-35 with 48.6% and 12-40 with 30%, respectively.
The two teams return to the court this Friday (5). The Rockets remain at home and host the Miami Heat (42-34), while the Warriors continue on the road to face the Dallas Mavericks (42-34).
The game
The Warriors’ dominance was seen in the first quarter and Houston did not take the lead at any point. Thompson commanded Golden State’s attack with 11 points and the San Francisco team’s lead was nine points at the end of the period.
The game’s scenario did not change in the second quarter. Thompson and Curry converted 17 points in the partial and with a score of 32 to 26, Golden State went into halftime with a 15-point lead.
The Rockets showed the best basketball in the game after halftime. The third half was balanced – with the Warriors winning 34-33, again being decided by 17 points from the “Splash Brothers” and a basket from Trayce Jackson-Davis in the final second.
With 16 points down, the Rockets were unable to react in the final quarter. In this scenario, the last four minutes of the game were dominated by the reserves and confirmed the Warriors’ decisive victory.
Photo: Reproduction/Twitter Golden State Warriors