The energy was weirdly tense. You could feel it through the screen. If you're checking in to see who won the Golden State Warriors game last night, you aren't just looking for a score; you're looking for the pulse of a team that’s currently walking a tightrope between its legendary past and a very uncertain future.
They won. But it wasn't easy.
Golden State managed to pull off a 118-112 victory against the Houston Rockets. It was one of those games that makes you want to pull your hair out and cheer at the exact same time. One minute they look like the 2017 dynasty, moved by telepathy and pure shooting rhythm, and the next, they’re throwing the ball into the third row.
Honestly, watching Draymond Green navigate these matchups is a masterclass in psychological warfare. He’s not just playing basketball; he’s playing a game of chess where he also gets to yell at the pieces. Last night, his defensive rotations in the fourth quarter were the only reason the Rockets didn't complete a double-digit comeback.
What Happened Down the Stretch?
The Warriors almost gave it away. Seriously. They had a comfortable lead heading into the final six minutes, but Houston's young core—led by Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green—started hunting mismatches. The Rockets are fast. They’re bouncy. They don’t have the "fear of God" that older teams have when they see Steph Curry pulling up from the logo.
Steph was Steph. He finished with 29 points, but it was his gravity that really won the game. Even when he isn't shooting, he creates this massive vacuum on the floor. Two defenders jumped at him at the 3-minute mark, leaving Buddy Hield wide open in the corner. Hield drilled it. That was the dagger.
It’s funny how people talk about the Warriors' "decline." If this is a decline, most teams in the league would kill for it. They still move the ball better than almost anyone else. They recorded 31 assists on 42 made field goals. That’s the Kerr system in a nutshell. It’s beautiful when it works, but man, when the turnovers start piling up, it looks like a disaster. They had 17 turnovers last night. You can't do that against the elite teams in the West like OKC or Minnesota and expect to survive.
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The New Rotations: Why It Matters
Steve Kerr is experimenting. He has to. With the roster depth they have this year, the "strength in numbers" mantra is back, but it's more of a necessity than a luxury.
Jonathan Kuminga’s role remains the biggest talking point in the Bay Area. He came off the bench again last night. He played 24 minutes and looked... okay. There’s a visible friction there. He wants the ball. He wants to be "the guy." But in a system built on sacrifice, his straight-line driving style sometimes clashes with the read-and-react flow the veterans prefer.
Then there’s Brandin Podziemski. The kid is everywhere. He took two charges last night that shifted the momentum when Houston was on a 10-0 run. He’s the type of player every championship team needs—the guy who does the stuff that doesn’t show up in a highlight reel but makes the coaching staff weep with joy.
The Defensive Masterclass (And the Lapses)
We need to talk about Andrew Wiggins. People forget he was arguably the second-best player on the 2022 title team. Last night, he looked like that guy again. His on-ball defense against Jalen Green was suffocating. He’s got these long strides and active hands that just disrupt everything.
But the Warriors have this annoying habit of "switching off."
They’ll play five minutes of perfect defensive shell, and then suddenly, there’s a backdoor cut that nobody sees. Houston exploited this repeatedly in the third quarter. If you're wondering who won the Golden State Warriors game last night, the answer is Golden State, but the "why" is because their veteran IQ eventually outlasted Houston’s youthful exuberance. Experience won.
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The Western Conference Reality Check
The West is a bloodbath. Every night feels like a play-in game.
Winning a random Tuesday night game against a rebuilding or "middle-of-the-pack" Rockets team might seem minor, but in this standings race, it’s everything. One loss can drop you from the 4th seed to the 9th seed in the span of 48 hours.
Warriors fans are rightfully anxious. They see the window closing. Every time Steph clutches his ankle or Draymond gets a technical, the collective heart rate of San Francisco spikes. But games like last night show there’s still juice in the tank. They aren't the favorites anymore—let's be real—but they are the team nobody wants to see in a seven-game series.
Breaking Down the Box Score (Without the Boring Stuff)
Let's look at what actually mattered in the numbers:
- Steph Curry: 29 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST. He’s still the sun the entire system orbits around.
- Draymond Green: 8 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST, 2 BLK. The stats don't show how he literally directed Wiggins where to stand on the final three possessions.
- Buddy Hield: 21 PTS. His integration into this offense has been seamless. He’s basically the "diet" version of Klay Thompson, but with a quicker trigger on the move.
- The Bench: They outscored Houston's bench 42-28. That was the game right there.
The Rockets’ Alperen Sengun is a problem, though. He’s like a mini-Jokic. He had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and at times, the Warriors had no answer for his footwork in the post. Golden State is small. They’ve always been small. But when they run into a physical big who can pass, it exposes their lack of a true rim protector.
Why This Win Feels Different
Usually, a win is a win. But this felt like a "teaching" win.
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Kerr was visible frustrated on the sidelines during the fourth-quarter collapse. He’s trying to tighten the rotation. You can see him narrowing down who he trusts when the game is on the line. Right now, that circle includes Steph, Draymond, Wiggins, Hield, and surprisingly, Podziemski.
Moses Moody got some burn, but it’s clear he’s still on a short leash. It’s tough. You have all this young talent that needs minutes to develop, but you have a 36-year-old superstar who is still playing at an MVP level. You can’t waste Steph’s twilight years on "development." It's a brutal balancing act.
The Road Ahead
The schedule doesn't get easier. They head out on a road trip next, and the road has been unkind to the Warriors over the last two seasons. Their defense travels, but their shooting sometimes stays at Chase Center.
If they want to keep this momentum, they have to fix the turnover issue. Seventeen turnovers lead to 22 points for the opposition. You simply can't win consistently in the NBA while giving away that many free possessions. It’s been the Achilles' heel of the Kerr era, and at this point, it might just be part of their DNA. High risk, high reward.
Takeaways for the Dedicated Fan
If you missed the game, don't just look at the final score. Watch the highlights of the last four minutes. Pay attention to how the Warriors manipulated the Rockets' defense to get the looks they wanted. It’s a clinic in late-game execution.
Next steps for following this team:
- Monitor the Injury Report: Steph took a hard fall in the second quarter. He stayed in, but keep an eye on his status for the back-to-back.
- Watch the Kuminga Minutes: His body language is the barometer for the locker room. If he starts buying into the bench role, the Warriors become dangerous. If he checks out, expect trade rumors to intensify.
- Check the Standings Daily: Every win right now is about avoiding the play-in tournament. They need to stay in that top-six bubble to have a real shot at a deep run.
The Warriors won last night because they have been there before. They knew how to handle the pressure when the lead evaporated. Houston played hard, but Golden State played smart. Sometimes, in the NBA, that’s all the difference you need.
Actionable Insight for Fans:
To stay ahead of the curve on Warriors' performance, stop looking at points per game and start tracking their Defensive Rating during the minutes Steph Curry is off the floor. This season, the team's viability rests entirely on their ability to survive those non-Curry minutes. When the bench maintains a neutral or positive +/- score, Golden State wins. When they collapse, the burden on Steph becomes unsustainable. Keep your eyes on the second-unit rotations in the upcoming games against Western Conference rivals.