In a thrilling Western Conference matchup on Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets rallied to a 115‑108 victory over the Golden State Warriors, halting the Bay Area club’s eight‑game winning streak. The win gave Houston fans a much‑needed boost and underscored the Rockets’ growing chemistry early in the season.
Key performances
Kevin Durant anchored the Rockets’ offense, contributing 20 points and providing steady leadership on the floor. Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson each added 19 points, helping the Rockets maintain a lead throughout the second half.
Golden State was forced to play most of the game without Stephen Curry, who exited in the first quarter after experiencing right abdominal soreness. Curry, who was averaging 30.6 points per game and ranked second in the NBA at the time, managed only three points before his early departure.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg stepped into the void, delivering a career‑high 25 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Fellow rookie Brandin Podziemski added 22 points, keeping the Warriors competitive despite the loss of their star.
Game flow
The Rockets built a nine‑point advantage early in the fourth quarter. The Warriors responded with three‑pointers from Georges Niang and De’Anthony Melton, narrowing the gap to 88‑85 with about ten minutes left. Houston answered with an eight‑point run, highlighted by an alley‑oop dunk from Thompson and back‑to‑back threes from Reed Sheppard, extending the lead to 96‑85.
Golden State fought back with a six‑point surge, including a four‑point play by Podziemski, but the Rockets reclaimed control when Sheppard and Fred VanVleet hit consecutive three‑pointers, pushing the score to 102‑91 midway through the quarter.
Incidents
Late in the third quarter, Rockets guard Marcus Smart was ejected after a brief altercation with Warriors forward Charles Bassey. Smart threw a punch that appeared to lightly strike Bassey’s nose, prompting officials to issue a Flagrant‑2 foul and remove Smart from the game. He left the arena without waiting for the official’s final decision.
Looking ahead
Next up, the Warriors travel to San Antonio on Friday night to continue a five‑game road trip. The Rockets will host the Utah Jazz on the same night, hoping to build on their momentum and climb the Western Conference standings.
The victory not only ends Golden State’s longest streak since 2022 but also showcases Houston’s resilience and depth. With key players contributing on both ends of the court, the Rockets appear poised to contend for a playoff spot as the season progresses.
Original reporting: Fort Worth, TX Sports (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
