Warriors Shock Rockets in OT
Golden State Warriors pulled off a surprising overtime victory against Houston despite being short-handed due to injuries. Stephen Curry led the comeback and emphasized the team's resilience with a message to "keep going" — a crucial win for their playoff positioning in the competitive Western Conference.
The Warriors battled for a 115-113 overtime victory on the road without some of their biggest names. Not only was Stephen Curry sidelined for his 12th straight game with a knee injury, but Kristaps Porziņģis was also out with an illness, and Jimmy Butler is unavailable for the rest of the season. The Rockets were also missing key players, including Fred VanVleet, who is out for the season with an ACL injury. With the team depleted, Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors in scoring with 26 points, while De'Anthony Melton added 23. Melton hit the game-deciding shot, a second-chance basket with just 5.3 seconds left in overtime. Al Horford also contributed a crucial 17 points for Golden State. For the Rockets, rookie Reed Sheppard was the high-scorer with 30 points, including six three-pointers, and Kevin Durant put up 23 points against his former team. Amen Thompson recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The final moments of overtime were a nail-biter. With under 30 seconds to go, Kevin Durant was fouled on a three-point attempt but missed the third free throw that would have tied the game. This set up Melton's go-ahead tip-in layup for the Warriors. The victory was a significant one for the Warriors, who entered the game with a 31-30 record and are fighting for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. Before the game, Houston held a 38-22 record. Even from the sidelines, Stephen Curry was invested in the outcome. He texted Draymond Green after the win with "A bunch of exclamation marks. Y'all did that." He also sent a message of encouragement, promising his teammates, "I know it's tough, but promise you, I'm coming back."
