Houston Rockets Drop Third Consecutive Game in Loss to Golden State Warriors

HOUSTON — Coach Ime Udoka said he does not care whether the Houston Rockets play home or away, he knows it makes a difference to his young players. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun were the beneficiaries of the Rockets opening their seven-game homestand against the Golden State Warriors Sunday evening.

Green scored a team-best 21 points (8-of-20 FG), while Sengun added 19 points (7-of-15 FG), seven assists and five rebounds. But their production wasn't enough as the Rockets fell 106-95 inside the Toyota Center.

The Rockets had a solid first quarter behind Amen Thompson's seven points off the bench. His alley-oop dunk from Jae'Sean Tate would have given the Rockets a one-point lead entering the second quarter, but a buzzer-beating triple by Dario Saric gave the Warriors a 26-24 lead.

Houston allowed the Warriors to open the second quarter on an 8-0 run, which resulted in the Rockets trailing by as many as 16 points with 7:31 left in the period.

The Rockets outscored the Warriors 21-15 during the final six minutes of the first half but could not sustain their momentum to begin the third quarter.

The Warriors extended their 57-47 halftime lead to 12 points early in the third period, but the Rockets refused to fold. Houston used their defense and offensive hustle to cut into the Warriors' double-digit lead. And by the 9:07 mark of the fourth quarter, Thompson's mid-range jumper tied the game at 83.

The former OverTime Elite prospect finished the game with a career-best nine points and four rebounds in the loss.

The Rockets and Warriors traded baskets over the next few possessions, but Green converted on a layup attempt to give Houston an 87-85 lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Wiggins split a pair of free throws to help the Warriors cut into the Rockets' lead. And with Houston leading 87-86, the Warriors regained the lead following a layup attempt made by Draymond Green.

On the next offensive possession, Stephen Curry drilled his first of four consecutive triples to push the Warriors ahead 100-89 with three minutes left in the quarter. After starting the game 2-of-8 from behind the arc, Curry finished with 24 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 6-of-14 from deep. He scored 14 points in the fourth.

Failure to launch:

By falling to the Warriors, the Rockets dropped their third consecutive game to begin the 2023-24 season. The loss marks Houston's second straight year of opening the season with a 0-3 record.

Up Next:

The Rockets will continue their seven-game homestand Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets. They will then host the Sacramento Kings for a two-game mini-series. Tip-off between the Rockets and Hornets is slated for 7 p.m. CDT inside the Toyota Center.