A win to take into the All-Star break.
The Golden State Warriors have looked dramatically improved since acquiring Jimmy Butler III in a trade deadline deal. But, prior to Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets, all of their performances have come with some parenthetical context.
An impressive win in Butler’s debut came against a paltry Chicago Bulls team, and at one point Golden State trailed by 24 points. A nice win two days later came against a Milwaukee Bucks team that was playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo. And Wednesday night’s loss, while thrilling, came against a Dallas Mavericks team that didn’t have Anthony Davis.
So facing a Rockets team perched near the top of the Western Conference standings — and on the road, no less — provided the Warriors with an opportunity to prove that they are a new team.
And, with no gas to spare in the tank, the Warriors made that statement, beating Houston 105-98 in their final game before the All-Star break.
For the first time in a while, the win didn’t require a comeback. Instead, it was the Warriors trying to frantically hold off the type of comeback they had exhibited in their recent wins.
Things started well, with a new small-ball lineup (Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, and Draymond Green) that stymied All-Star Alperen Şengün. The Warriors had a surprising amount of energy, and were flying all over the court, and playing lock-down defense. They closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run, and led 28-19.
The defensive effort led them in the second half, with Podziemski and Moody taking over, showing off in every area of the game. They were playing with so much energy, and less than five minutes in, the Dubs led 44-27. Things were looking great!
But Houston responded with seven points in the span of a minute, prompting a Steve Kerr timeout. That settled down the Warriors who, with some surprising contributions from Pat Spencer, locked back in and pushed the lead back to 17 points. The Rockets again made a run, with the Warriors getting sloppy, but things broke Golden State’s way as the half came to an end: Houston committed a reckless foul at half court with nine seconds remaining, and compounded it with a technical foul. Curry made all three free throws, and the Dubs marched to the half with a 62-48 lead.
The energy and exceptional defense persisted in the third quarter. The lead grew and grew and grew, peaking with a 24-point advantage with four minutes remaining. Golden State seemed well on their way to a dominant victory over a very good team.
And then came an admittedly understandable breakdown. Any person who has ever over-exerted themselves at the gym can relate to what happened to the Warriors.
The Dubs were playing their second intense game in as many nights. They were playing their third game in four nights, and their sixth consecutive game on the road. They hadn’t been in California in 10 days, and during those 10 days had dealt with the emotions of trading away a beloved teammate, the pressure of working a new star into the fold, and the exhaustion of replacing four players with one player, leading to an increased workload across the board.
They were gassed. And Ime Udoka countered with lineups featuring myriad Rockets players who hadn’t played the night before.
Exhaustion met energy, and you know how that goes. The Rockets ended the quarter on a 13-1 run, and seized all the momentum, despite trailing 82-70. Shortly into the fourth quarter, that run was 17-1, and it was an eight-point game. Soon the run was 25-5.
The Warriors simply had nothing. They were on the final mile of the marathon and desperately, openly praying for a second wind that seemed unlikely to come. The lead was cut to two with about 7:30 remaining, prompting Bob Fitzgerald to (accurately) state, “If the Rockets take the lead, the game is over.”
But they didn’t. Curry, who seemed fully devoid of legs, responded with a three, leading to a Houston timeout. The Rockets had a second, third, and fourth chance on the next possession, but somehow came away empty handed. Podziemski was the first Warrior to find a second wind, giving the team big minutes. Kevon Looney was keeping them afloat too, but Houston was getting offensive rebound after offensive rebound, while Looney was getting beat up and begging for a whistle that seemed to never come.
The Dubs had added frustration at the refs and at themselves to an exhausted performance, but somehow had not given up the lead. Finally, with 3:40 remaining, Curry nailed a sidestep three to push the lead to seven. At the 2:01 mark, Butler forced his way to the line for a pair of free throws to give Golden State an 11-point advantage. They had found their second wind.
But Houston still had more legs, more life, and more energy, thanks to more rest. They scored five quick points, and when the Warriors came up empty on the other end, your heart began to sank.
The Dubs had one last moment of digging deep. Podziemski and Butler attempted the rare halfcourt double, with Podz simply ripping the ball away from Aaron Holiday. The Warriors used nearly the entire shot clock on the other end, finally finding Draymond at the top of the key as the buzzer was set to expire.
Somehow, with no legs to speak of, Green found the energy to rise for a game-clinching three with 47 seconds remaining.
The Dubs won 105-98. They staved off a comeback even when they had exhausted every bit of energy they had. And now they get to rest for a while, entering the All-Star break as a team that looks primed for a late-season surge.
All five starters finished with double figures: 27 for Curry, 19 for Butler, 18 for Podziemski, 13 for Green, and 10 for Moody. The Dubs shot just 26.8% from deep, but only committed 10 turnovers, while forcing 20.
A great, great, great win.