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Philippines, 07 Apr 2025 |
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Golden State Falls to Rockets at Home, Creates Four Teams Logjam for 5-6 in West By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Mon, 07 Apr 2025  As if scaling a wall for Top 4, Golden State Warriors faced their fourth straight high-ranked opponent in Houston Rockets and came down to a 106-96 defeat ironically at home. The loss resulted to a four-team logjam for the automatic 5th and 6th seed in the West involving Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies with 47-32 win loss record each. This happens after the Clippers, the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies won their game yesterday keeping them just half a game behind the Warriors who was at #5 at the start of today's schedule. Playing at home after facing and defeating the Grizzlies, LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets consecutively on the road, the Warriors were expected to have little trouble disposing off a Rockets team smugly entrenched at 2nd in the West. Warriors fans were looking forward to a business like win expecting Houston to take it easy going into the playoffs. But the Rockets came in with playoff intensity that surprised the Warriors, most of all Stephen Curry who was virtually bottled up to just three points. It so happened that Jimmy Butler had another low production evening and so did Draymond Green and Moses Moody. Brandin Podziemski and reserves as Buddy Hield, Gary Payton II and Jonathan Kuminga tried to pick up the slack but they proved inadequate. Thru Dillion Brooks and Amen Thompson who alternately shadowed Curry, the Rockets effectively shut down Golden State small ball offense revolving around Green and Curry. On the other hand, Houston's 6-11 Turkish center Alperen Sengun dominated both ends of the slot while getting fire-power support from Brooks, Thompson, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith accentuating the Rockets size and muscle advantage. The Warriors got no nearer than seven points halfway through the final quarter as they trailed by double figures for much of the match though the Rockets just had a 53-50 lead at half time. The Rockets were led by Brooks with 24 points supported by Green with 21 points. Sengun had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Smith tossed in 16 points while Thompson, aside from handcuffing Curry, contributed 14 points. Hield led the Warriors with 20 points followed by Podziemski with 19 and Payton with 16. Butler only scored 13 points. Curry and Green were limited to just 3 and 2 points respectively although Curry somewhat made up for his anemic points production by issuing 8 assists. Compounding the Warriors woes at the painted area was the little time their bigs, except for Kevon Looney, like Quentin Post and Trayce Jackson Davis were fielded in by coach Steve Kerr which was not enough to make any traction. Pundits and Warriors fans are unanimous in the belief that if Golden State is to make it to the playoffs and be truly competitive, the coaching staff has to make better use of their big men considering that most of the opposition has their own versions of twin towers or at least has dominant centers. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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