Warriors put a pin in Rockets’ postseason hopes with blowout win
The Warriors now have a four-game lead, plus the tiebreaker, for the 10th seed.
HOUSTON — The Warriors have ended the Rockets’ season four times during their dynastic run. The last two, in the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals and 2018 Conference Finals, came in the Toyota Center.
The faces in red and white jerseys are new, but the Warriors effectively turned off the lights on another Rockets season on Thursday. By coming into Houston and dominating, the Warriors buried the Rockets’ faint postseason hopes.
For their season-high sixth straight victory, the Warriors (42-34) shot 17-for-35 (48.6%) from deep and won the rebounding battle, 43 to 29. Klay Thompson poured in 29 points on 7-for-11 from deep, Steph Curry matched him with an efficient 29, and Trayce Jackson-Davis logged a career-high 20 points.
The Warriors never trailed in a 133-110 blowout. The win provides the Warriors a cushy pillow of security. With six games remaining, they’re now four games up on the Rockets in the standings and own the tiebreaker, meaning they’ve effectively clinched at least the 10-seed — the lowest play-in slot.
With Houston buried in their rearview, the Warriors can make up ground on the Lakers. Stealing the ninth seed would allow them to avoid having to play sudden death play-in games on the road before even starting a traditional playoff series.
The Warriors looked comfortable from the beginning; given their history in this building, why wouldn’t they? Golden State started on a commanding 19-6 run halfway through the first quarter, blanketing the Rockets with their new-and-improved defense.
Houston responded with a 9-0 run as Curry hit the bench and a rash of turnovers overcame Golden State, but Chris Paul nailed a pair of 3-pointers to stem the Rockets’ rally. The Warriors hit eight of their first 12 triples.
Thompson eclipsed 20 points during the second quarter on a catch-and-shoot 3. Like so many times in the halcyon days of the Warriors-Rockets rivalry, Thompson was unconscious. At one point, he sank a one-legged, pirouetting fall-away in the post. He stared down Dillon Brooks, a frequent Warriors foe, after hitting a 3.
The Warriors’ starting lineup, with double bigs, Andrew Wiggins and the Splash Bros., closed the half on a 9-0 run to give Golden State a 65-50 lead. That unit has really gelled as Jonathan Kuminga (knee tendinitis) has been sidelined for the past five games.
The Warriors’ starting unit again began the second half strong, building a 19-point lead. Curry, a victim of the league’s officiating tweak that has allowed more contact, earned his first free throws in over 51 minutes of game time. He threw both hands up after the blocking call on Fred VanVleet, screaming, “YES” to the Warriors’ bench.
Curry’s gesture was a playful jab at the way he has been officiated recently, but it also could have applied to the Warriors generally. As they cruised in the fourth, they secured their longest winning streak of the year — with quality victories against Orlando, Dallas and now Houston. Their defense, which held four of their past six opponents below 100 points, limited the red-hot Jalen Green to 13 points on 4-for-12 shooting.
The rotation mix Steve Kerr has been searching for all year seems to have fallen into place. They’re still bound for the play-in, but if the Warriors are peaking at the right time, it’s hard to imagine any Western Conference team outside of Denver being thrilled facing Golden State in the postseason.
Their latest statement came from Houston. The way they’re playing, the Warriors will be capable of ending more seasons.