Rockets Sneak Past Warriors, 91-90, Advance to NBA Cup Semis
Vegas Bound. Clamping Down. Fair Call.
For first time in this last sixteen times, the Houston Rockets finally managed to beat their nemesis, the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets edged the Warriors, 91-90, on Wednesday night, and punched their ticket to the NBA Cup Semifinals in Las Vegas. Houston closed the game on a 7-0 run to sneak past Golden State. Once again, the Rockets clamped down defensively, as they held the Warriors scoreless for the final 3:03 of the contest. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jabari Smith scored 15 points, and Jalen Green hit two pressure-filled free throws to seal the win. Green finished with only 12 points, as his consistency continues, but he’s never played well against Golden State. What matters is he was able to knock down the crucial freebees that essentially gave the Rockets the victory. The emerging Jonathan Kuminga scored 20 points to lead the Warriors, and Steph Curry added 19 points for Golden State.
This battle was decided in the trenches, with players diving to the floor in the final seconds, with Golden State holding a one point lead. After a battle for the ball on the floor, a foul was called on the Warriors, which led to Green’s game-winning free throws. Steve Kerr and the entire Golden State team whined about the call on the floor, with only 3 seconds to go in the game. However, the NBA stated after the game that crew chief Billy Kennedy had made the right call. So any statements about calling the officials “elementary school referees”, as Kerr said in his heated post-game presser, can be put to bed. Houston won this game fair and square.
The Rockets led by as many as fourteen points in the first half, but the Warriors stormed back to take a one point lead at halftime. At one point, it looked like Houston was headed for a very sour sixteenth straight loss to Golden State. Facing a seven-point deficit, 89-82, with around three and a half minutes remaining, the Rockets closed the game on a 9-1 run to edge the Warriors. Finally, the nearly five year drought to their nemesis has ended. The dragon has been slayed. And with the win, Houston punched their ticket to Sin City, where they’ll face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Semifinals on Saturday night. And it should be an thrilling affair in the entertainment capital of the world, marking the first time the Rockets have ever played a game in Las Vegas.