The Rockets Beat the Warriors(Finally)

Over the past decade, particularly with Stephen Curry at the helm, the Warriors have all but been minority owners of the Houston Rockets. From the Warriors' four playoff series victories to their regular season dominance, this matchup has not been favorable for the Rockets. Some notable humiliations in recent memory include the Warriors snapping their infamous road game losing streak in 2022 and also their two victories earlier this season without Stephen Curry. To make matters worse, Curry's first game winning buzzer beater also came against the Rockets.

It seems as though whenever the Warriors have needed to bounce back, there the Rockets are just innocently waiting on the Warriors' schedule. It's almost as if Steph seems to relish in embarrassing the team.

Not last game.

Though a knockout game against the Warriors on TNT can invoke trauma from Rockets' fans, the Rockets exercised their Golden State demons better than they ever have in their quarterfinals matchup. For starters, the head of the snake, Stephen Curry had only 19 points on 8-17 shooting. For a team as offensively devoid as the Warriors, neutralizing the Curry threat is vital. The coupled minutes of the Terror Twins, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, played a large part in minimizing Steph's effectiveness.

Despite the victory, like many other wins this season, it was not a pleasant sight. There was a plethora of both strengths and weaknesses in the Rockets' play.

The best player on the court was undoubtedly Alperen Sengun, who posted an impressive 26 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Aside from just the typically impressive post play, Sengun's immense defensive improvement was on display.

Another positive was Sengun's persistence even when subjected to Draymond Green's defense. Down the stretch, Draymond's post defense was vicious as he was making Sengun fight for every shot. Still, Sengun maintained his composure facing the all-time defender and came up with a clutch basket to cut the lead to just 1.

Sengun having a performance of this caliber in the biggest game of his career just furthers the belief that he could be the Rockets' franchise player.

Jabari Smith Jr. also continued his excellent play with 15 points on 6-11 shooting and 2 blocks. He also shot fairly well from three, making 3 of his 8 attempts. It should be acknowledged, however, that he was not great on the boards. Grabbing only 1 rebound, the Rockets will need to see more from him against OKC on Saturday.

The Rockets' defense was collectively stellar and a huge reason for the win. The defensive play of players such as Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, and Amen Thompson stood out amongst others. The Rockets forced a multitude of shot clock violations and also clutch turnovers, which willed them to victory.

While their defense was excellent, the Rockets' offense was once more subpar. Their signature stretches of stagnant offense essentially allowed the Warriors to hang around and almost win the game. Though the Rockets had a lead heading into the third quarter, they couldn't buy a basket, which allowed the Warriors to get back into the game almost instantly. Later, in the fourth quarter, there was also a stretch where they went 4 minutes without a single basket.

The Rockets' backcourt woes also continued as Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green both shot horridly. VanVleet had 8 points on 3-13 shooting, and Jalen Green had 12 points on 5-15 shooting. With the backcourt shooting this poor, it's easy to understand why this game was as close as it was.

The poor performances of both, particularly Jalen Green, causes one to ponder on what their futures are in a Rockets' uniform. Fred VanVleet's shooting is far too iffy, usually as a byproduct of poor shot selection. With Jalen Green, it's like clockwork. Sure, he'll have the occasional hot hand, but it seems that whenever there is a high stake game, you can expect nothing but the worst of him. It would be really refreshing to see the backcourt excel against the Thunder, but hopes are bleak.

Nonetheless, it's over. After 15 straight losses to the Warriors, the Rockets finally beat them. The Warriors' dominance over the Rockets in recent years had became almost as certain as the laws of physics. Finally beating them could be symbolic of the tide beginning to turn for the Rockets.

During the Ime Udoka era, the Rockets have transformed into a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end. As it stands, they are the second seed in a menacing western conference. Offensively, the team still has a ways to go, and they'll need to be better if they hope to beat the Thunder and advance to the cup finals.