The losing streak for the Rockets (1-9) is now at eight consecutive games after Sunday’s loss at Golden State (8-1). Houston closed to within three points midway through the third quarter, but the host Warriors subsequently went on a 15-0 run to put the game out of reach before finishing with a convincing 120-107 victory (box score).
Houston finished its long Western Conference road trip at 0-5, with all five losses to a probable playoff team (Lakers, Suns, Nuggets, Warriors). Jordan Poole led Golden State with 25 points and 5 assists, while two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry scored 20 points on 50% shooting. Jae’Sean Tate paced the Rockets with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
See below for highlights from Sunday’s game, and read on for our assessment of individual Houston performances. Grades are limited to players who had clear rotation minutes, since anything less wouldn’t represent a sufficient enough sample to evaluate. Grades are also decided relative to a player’s average performance — in other words, the standard for Christian Wood is higher than for David Nwaba.
With the long road trip complete, Houston finally returns home to face Detroit on Wednesday night at at Toyota Center. Tipoff for the game between the Rockets and Pistons — which features a showdown of Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham, the top two picks in the 2021 NBA draft — is set for 6:30 p.m. Central, with the game broadcast on ESPN.
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