Rockets thrash ‘banged up’ Warriors, Nuggets bounce back
LOS ANGELES: The Houston Rockets humbled the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors 107-86 on Thursday in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.
The Rockets took full advantage of the absence of Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry, who missed his fourth straight game with a groin injury.
They posted their sixth victory in eight games after a 1-5 start and climbed to .500 at 7-7 in the still young season.
Draymond Green returned for the Warriors after serving a one-game suspension meted out by Golden State after his confrontation with team-mate Kevin Durant.
The Rockets coped with their own upheaval as shortly before the game general manager Daryl Morey confirmed they parting ways with 10-time Allstar Carmelo Anthony, who had played in just 10 games since arriving as a free agent prior to the season.
Whether Curry’s absence or continuing tension between team-mates played a role, the Warriors endured a horrendous shooting night, connecting on 42.1 per cent of their shots from the field and just 22.2 per cent from three-point range.
Not a single Warriors starter made a three-pointer — a first since March of 2013. The Rockets, up 47-41 at halftime, pulled away relentlessly — putting the game out of reach with a 21-2 scoring run to open the fourth quarter. “We’re banged up a little physically and we’re banged up spiritually — there’s no getting around that,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ve got to fill up our cup, get our spirit back, get our energy back, and we’re going to. It’s a long season.”