Rockets Snap Losing Streak, Eliminate Warriors in Dramatic Fashion
In a fiercely contested match that resembled a wrestling bout more than a basketball game, the Houston Rockets ended their 15-game losing streak against the Golden State Warriors with a nail-biting 91-90 victory. The hard-fought win at an electrifying venue set the Rockets on a course to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas, while simultaneously dashing the Warriors' hopes for the NBA Cup.
For Steve Kerr and the Warriors, the loss was shrouded in controversy. The team led by seven points with less than four minutes remaining, only to watch that advantage erode as the Rockets held them scoreless in those critical closing moments. Jalen Green, a linchpin in the Rockets' late-game surge, was fouled by Jonathan Kuminga with a mere 3.1 seconds left on the clock. Green’s impeccable execution from the free-throw line handed Houston a crucial one-point advantage that proved decisive.
Jabari Smith's defensive prowess further solidified the victory. As the Warriors took one last attempt to snatch the game back, Smith's clean rejection of Brandin Podziemski’s shot sealed an exhilarating win for the Rockets. Yet, the triumph did not come without contention. The foul call on Kuminga, attributed to contact around the neck and shoulder area, did not sit well with Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr. Referencing the physicality that had permeated the entire contest, Kerr expressed his incredulity over the decision.
“I’ve never seen a loose ball foul in a jump ball situation 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line,” Kerr lamented. His frustration further boiled over as he added, “I think I saw it in college one time 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is unconscionable.”
The encounter was marked by its intensity, with both squads fiercely battling for dominance—typified by the grit and determination shown by the Rockets to exploit their late-game opportunity amidst the mayhem. Despite their disappointment, the Warriors were not left questioning their effort and commitment, as Kerr poignantly noted. “I feel for our guys. They deserved to win that game or at least have the chance for one stop at the end to finish the game. And that was taken from us by a call that I don't think an elementary school referee would have made,” he reflected.
The Warriors coach’s final remarks revealed the depth of the emotional investment both he and his players had riding on the outcome. “You've established you're not going to call anything throughout the game. It’s a physical game and you're gonna call a loose ball foul in a jump ball situation with guys diving on the floor with the game on the line?” Kerr questioned, illustrating his bewilderment over the selective officiating.
His frustration was palpable, as he concluded with missives that underscored his team's ambition. “I’m pissed off. I wanted to go to Las Vegas. We wanted to win this Cup,” Kerr confessed, underscoring the competitive spirit that defines his tenure.
The Rockets, meanwhile, celebrate a victory that not only eliminates a formidable foe but also serves as an emblem of overcoming adversity. In battling through a game characterized by relentless physical contact, they seized upon a controversial moment to etch their name in the annals of their rivalry with the Warriors.
Both teams leave with invaluable insights; the Rockets carry forward momentum and resilience, while the Warriors are left to grapple with the vagaries of the sport they love. As the dust settles, each will seek to recalibrate and draw lessons from this combustible encounter as they chase their respective goals in the evolving narrative of their NBA campaigns.