The Golden State Warriors have cemented their winning streak, winning Tuesday night’s clash with the Rockets at Houston’s Toyota Center. Widely recognized as a threat to the Warriors’ chances in the playoffs, the Rockets’ inability to make the majority of their three pointers in tonight’s game saw the Warriors come out on top with a 113-106 win.
Tonight’s win sees the Warriors head into San Antonio with a two-game lead over the Spurs. Tuesday’s game saw the Bay Area quick out of the gate, gaining a 22-point lead in the first 15 minutes of the game, mostly thanks to the work of shooting guard, Klay Thompson, who scored 20 of those points in the first 11 minutes of play.
The Warrior’s defense was also consistent, using a mostly hands-off approach to stick to the perimeter. Golden State dropped the game in the second quarter, slacking on both offense and defense, with 29 fouls leading to 39 free throws, effectively keeping the Rockets in the game
Things seemed to be looking up for the Warriors at the tail end of the first half, when point guard Stephen Curry seemed to have a clear path to break out and put California up by 12, he shoved Rockets point guard Patrick Beverly while fumbling to pick up the ball, resulting in a third foul for Curry and two free throws for Houston, entering half-time with a score of 60-52 to the Warriors.
The Rockets’ poor performance from the three point line is likely to be the reason for Tuesday’s defeat, with the team succeeding in only 5 of 31 attempts.
See how the Dubs picked up their 60th win of the season tonight in Houston » https://t.co/tPmUp0ij1I pic.twitter.com/sU4fmRvRuH
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 29, 2017
After making a dramatic recovery after suffering what was labeled a “dramatic slump” earlier in the season, the Warriors have gone from strength to strength and are riding what looks like an almost untouchable hot streak. Earlier this month, things were a different story for the Bay Area.
Following a significant loss to Minnesota earlier this month, a result that marked a fourth loss in six games for the Bay Area, headlines seemed focused on the team’s lack of direction and exhaustion following a hectic game schedule and the loss of star forward Kevin Durant to injury.
At the time, there were suggestions of tension behind the scenes, specifically with the decision of coach Steve Kerr to allow key players to sit on the bench during a nationally televised game. This came to a head in a post-game teleconference when forward Andre Iguodala responded to questions from the media on his knowledge of Kerr’s gameplay by saying “No clue. I do what master say.”
Congrats @SteveKerr on needing the fewest amount of games (238) to reach 200 regular season wins in American pro sports history?? #DubNation pic.twitter.com/kM8VM66rYj
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 29, 2017
It has been suggested that the success of Golden State in the past few seasons with the addition of Durant saw fans expectations for the team shoot to unrealistic levels.
Meanwhile, The Warriors broke ground in January on their future home, the $1 billion “Chase Center” in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. The stadium, which will seat 18,000 fans, is expected to open in time for the 2019-2020 season.
The Warriors are currently based out of Oakland’s Oracle Arena, a stadium that has the unfortunate distinction of being the oldest building in the NBA. While ticket prices at the new venue are expected to be steeper that those at the Oracle Arena, the Warriors began the season with a wait list of 32,000 for season tickets, so it is unlikely the team will have trouble filling seats.
The Warriors face off Wednesday night against the Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
[Featured Image by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Images]
