Houston’s Rally Falls Short as Curry Ignites Warriors Past Rockets, 122-108
Same Old Story. Motivational Talk. The Dog Days.
It was the same old story for the Rockets on Monday night. A slow start eventually doomed Houston, as they fell to the Warriors, 122-108, on Monday night. They failed to score for the first four minutes of the game, falling behind 10-0 early. Despite this early deficit, the Rockets managed to hold a 25-23 lead after the first quarter. But Golden State outscored the Rockets by 11 points in the second period, and Houston never cut the deficit less than 3 points. Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter to ensure the Rockets’ rally would fail. Kevin Porter Jr. and Curry got into bit of trash talking before the Warriors’ star exploded in the final period, making some pundits believe KPJ’s “trash-talk” motivated Curry. Regardless. Houston fell short to one of the best teams in the NBA, and lost their 11th consecutive game at home, extending their franchise-record.
Christian Wood led the Rockets with 24 points and 13 boards, and KPJ added 17, but Houston could never overcome their deficit after Golden State took over in the second period. It’s hard to play fighting from behind all game long, and it’s a habit the Rockets need to buck if they want to win a game anytime soon.
It’s officially the dog days of the NBA. As we approach the All-Star Break, most teams are eagerly awaiting a much-needed break as they try and grind through a few more games before the break starts in mid-to-late February. Almost every team deals with this fatigue at this point in the season, but the Rockets are young enough to fight through the dog days, and grab a few upsets. If only they could get off to better starts. These early deficits have plagued Houston over their current four-game losing streak. The Rockets aim to end that trend on Wednesday night as the home-stand comes to a close with the Cleveland Cavaliers rolling into town. Unlike the past few years since LeBron James’ departure, this Cavs team is telling a new story, and are the surprise of the NBA this season. Houston better be on their toes, or they could be in for another loss at Toyota Center to end the home-stand.