Golden State Warriors Win Overtime Thriller Against Houston Rockets
Steve Kerr wasn’t sugarcoating anything Thursday night. Before the Warriors even tipped off against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, Golden State’s head coach looked around at his depleted roster and said what everyone was already thinking. “This is probably as beaten up a team as I’ve ever been around in my 12 years with the Warriors.”
Steph Curry (runner’s knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) were already sitting. Then Moses Moody (wrist), Gary Payton II (ankle), and Will Richard (ankle) all got scratched before tip. At some point, you half-expect the Warriors to show up to the arena with eight guys, a folding chair, and a prayer. And yet, they won. Final score: 115-113 in overtime.
Warriors Find a Way When It Mattered Most
This was the Warriors’ first trip back to Houston since knocking the Rockets out in Game 7 of last year’s playoffs. The Rockets remember. Their fans remember. And you can bet Kevin Durant, who signed with Houston this past offseason, circled this one on his calendar.
With the Warriors trailing by one and 45 seconds left in regulation, Al Horford drained a corner three to put Golden State up 101-99. Alperen Sengun immediately answered with a hook shot to tie it at 101 with 27 seconds to go. Then things got weird.
Durant fouled De’Anthony Melton on a fadeaway with 6.5 seconds left. The refs called it. Then replay showed Durant hit the ball first. Call overturned. The Warriors won the jump ball and couldn’t convert, and suddenly everyone was headed to overtime with their hearts somewhere near their throats.
Podziemski and Melton Refuse to Let the Warriors Lose
If you needed a hero on Thursday, you got two. Brandin Podziemski finished with 26 points, 7 of them in overtime, and played like a guy who had no idea his team was shorthanded. He just played. No excuses, no nerves showing. Just buckets.
De’Anthony Melton chipped in 23 points, including the shot that sealed it. In overtime, with the Warriors clinging to a 113-110 lead, Melton fouled Durant on a three-point attempt with 30 seconds left. Durant stepped to the line and missed his third free throw. One missed free throw. That’s the game right there. Melton then grabbed the offensive rebound off the miss and laid it back in to push the lead to three with five seconds left. Ballgame.
Gui Santos added a quiet 14. Draymond Green posted 10 points and 8 assists and somehow found time to guard both Durant and Sengun.
Reed Sheppard led all scorers with 30 for Houston. Amen Thompson put up 18 and 10. The Rockets did what they always do, outrebounding the Warriors 49-47, which is actually a moral victory for Golden State against a team averaging 48.1 boards per game.
LJ Cryer Gets a Homecoming Worth Remembering
Of all the storylines Thursday night, this one had the most heart. LJ Cryer, a Houston-area native who starred at Katy High School and later averaged 15.6 points per game for the University of Houston, returned to Toyota Center for the first time as a visiting player.
He hadn’t played since Jan. 25, dealing with a hamstring injury. But he checked in on Thursday, and the crowd at Toyota Center gave him a standing ovation every time he hit one of his four three-pointers.
What’s Next For the Warriors
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Golden State, moving them to 32-30 on the season. The margin for error is getting thin, and the Western Conference is not exactly forgiving right now.
Up next: Oklahoma City on Saturday. The Thunder are currently the best team in the Western Conference. The Warriors are limping. Steph’s still out. Porzingis is day-to-day.
Before Thursday’s game, both Porzingis and Seth Curry were spotted getting shots up in pregame warmups. Porzingis for the first time since his illness, Curry for the first time since battling sciatica since early December. Kerr offered cautious optimism.
“No timeline, but he’s on the trip, and he was able to work out today,” Kerr said of Porzingis. “Hopefully that bodes well for him playing soon.” For a Warriors team held together with tape and sheer will right now, Thursday’s win was more than a box score. It was a reminder that this group still knows how to close.
