As usual, Crickex Sign Up followed tonight’s thriller as the Houston Rockets suffered a narrow 114-110 loss to the Golden State Warriors at home, marking their third consecutive defeat. Despite Stephen Curry’s continued absence, the Warriors secured their 10th win in the last 11 matchups against the Rockets, thanks to a red-hot performance from Klay Thompson, who exploded for 38 points on 16-of-27 shooting, including 6-of-11 from three-point range.
Draymond Green was equally impactful, recording a triple-double with 10 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds—his assist total setting a new career high. James Harden led Houston with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Dwight Howard had a dominant night in the paint, going 8-of-9 from the field for 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Much of the pregame buzz centered around the debate over who holds the title of the league’s best shooting guard. Thompson recently claimed that honor for himself, saying, “Just look at our record.” Harden responded diplomatically: “He can say whatever gets him going. We all know the truth.” Harden backed up his words early, opening the game with a four-point play over Thompson and helping the Rockets jump to a 12-4 lead. Four and a half minutes in, he also drew Thompson’s second foul—but the Warriors sharpshooter stayed in and let his game do the talking. He shot 9-of-11 in the first quarter for 17 points, including 3-of-3 from deep, helping Golden State take a 33-30 lead.
Harden finished the opening period with 9 points, but also picked up a flagrant-one foul after elbowing Andrew Bogut while driving to the rim. Even with four players missing from their usual nine-man rotation, the Warriors found a spark. Andre Iguodala converted a three-point play to extend the lead early in the second quarter. Though the Rockets responded with a 9-2 burst led by Howard and Corey Brewer, Green hit a timely three to keep Golden State ahead. While Green had a poor outing in the previous game against Dallas, he roared back with 12 first-half assists—just one shy of his career record. Thompson cooled off with a scoreless second quarter, but Green’s playmaking kept the Warriors in front.
Harden brought Houston back late in the half, scoring 9 quick points in three minutes, including a four-point play over Bogut. At halftime, the Rockets trailed just 61-59. Trevor Ariza, who had been scoreless in the first half, came alive in the third, burying a three to give Houston a 66-63 edge. But Thompson reignited, scoring 14 points in the quarter on 6-of-10 shooting, while Green continued to rack up assists and broke his personal assist record.
The game remained tight until a late third-quarter run from the Warriors. With the score tied at 80, Houston missed consecutive threes from Marcus Thornton and Terrence Jones, while Iguodala and Thompson nailed back-to-back triples, capping an 8-0 run to give Golden State a 90-82 lead entering the fourth.
Howard opened the final quarter strong, drawing a foul on Marreese Speights and sinking both free throws. In celebration, he accidentally knocked over Speights and picked up his fourth foul. The Warriors pulled ahead 99-87 after two straight baskets from Shaun Livingston, but the Rockets refused to fold. Tightening up their defense, they clawed back to 101-97, with Howard again leading the charge.
Yet just as Houston looked poised to strike, Thompson took over once more. His consecutive buckets triggered an 8-0 surge that put the game out of reach. Ariza hit a pair of late threes in the final seconds, but the damage was done. The Rockets fell 114-110 in a game filled with intensity and late drama.
Crickex Sign Up notes this loss as another hard pill to swallow for Houston, who continue to battle inconsistency and late-game execution. But with Harden and Howard in sync and the margin razor-thin, there’s hope that better results are just around the corner.