2 weeks ago
4
After 1,756 days and 15 consecutive losses, the Houston Rockets finally defeated the Golden State Warriors, edging them out 91-90 on Wednesday night to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals. The win marked Houston’s first victory over Golden State since February 20, 2020, breaking the league’s longest active losing streak against a single opponent.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 26 points and 11 rebounds, powering Houston to a dramatic 9-1 run to close the game. Down six with two minutes left, the Rockets rallied, sparked by Fred VanVleet’s clutch three-pointer with 1:16 remaining. Sengun followed with a layup to bring Houston within one, setting up a critical sequence in the final seconds.
With 3.5 seconds left, Jalen Green hit two go-ahead free throws after a loose-ball foul on Golden State. On the Warriors’ final possession, Jabari Smith Jr. delivered the decisive block, sealing Houston’s first lead of the fourth quarter and the victory.
“It’s big growth for us,” Sengun said of Houston’s resilience. “Against a championship team, we finished the game good — that was great.”
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 19 points but missed a pivotal three-pointer late. Buddy Hield, meanwhile, achieved a milestone, becoming the 17th player to reach 2,000 career three-pointers — doing so in just 656 games, second only to Curry’s 597.
The Rockets now head to Las Vegas to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinals.
English (US) ·