Tag: Golden State Warriors

Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Golden State Warriors (8-24) host the Phoenix Suns (11-19) for a 10:30 p.m. ET tip-off at the Chase Center. We analyze Suns-Warriors odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

This is the second Warriors-Suns game of the season and first since Steph Curry fractured his wrist against the Suns October 30.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Suns at Warriors: Key injuries

Suns

  • C Deandre Ayton (ankle) out
  • SF Kelly Oubre Jr. (groin) probable

Warriors

  • PG Steph Curry (wrist) out
  • SG Klay Thompson (knee) out
  • C Kevon Looney (abdominal) out
  • SF Eric Paschall (hip) questionable

Suns at Warriors: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 3 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Warriors 118, Suns 114

Moneyline (ML)

Throw out the trends in this matchup because the Warriors have housed the Suns since the rise of the Splash Bros. Besides the Suns winning the last two matchups, the Warriors have won 18 games straight, including 13 double-digit wins, against the Suns.

We are handicapping for a revenge game. As in the Warriors will be motivated to beat a Suns team after Steph Curry broke his wrist when colliding with Phoenix C Aron Baynes in their October 30 game. This effectively derailed the Warriors’ 2019-20 campaign, with Klay Thompson already out for the season and Kevin Durant taking his talents to Brooklyn, and I see that motivating the Warriors to victory tonight. Take the WARRIORS +135 (the Suns are -162).

New to sports betting? A $100 wager on the Warriors returns a profit of $135 if they win outright.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

If we are going to take the Warriors on the moneyline, then we have to feel great about betting the WARRIORS +3.5 (-115). The Warriors are playing better recently — winning their last three games, including the Christmas game against a good Houston Rockets team. Also, the Warriors should be able to get buckets against a bad Suns defense that ranks 25th in opponent’s points per game, 28th in opponent’s field-goal percentage and 26th in opponents 3-point percentage.

Over/under (O/U)

The total skews to the OVER because the combined O/U record of the Warriors-Suns is 32-30 and both teams are below average on defense. But the Uunder is 5-1 in their last six meetings and both teams struggle from deep (Suns ranked 19th and Warriors ranked 29th in 3-point %). So, I’m only leaning towards OVER 223.5 (-115).

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Moments of the decade: The most memorable Rockets games of the 2010s

As the decade comes to a close, Rockets Wire looks back at the most impactful games for James Harden and the Houston Rockets in the 2010s.

Rockets Wire previously explored some of the most meaningful Houston Rockets transactions over the past decade. On Friday, we look back at the team’s actual basketball games over that same period of the 2010s.

Dating back to 2010, the Rockets have the fourth-most wins among the NBA’s 30 franchises. They’ve advanced to the Western Conference Finals twice in the past five years, which they hadn’t previously done since 1997.

Nonetheless, as the new decade nears, the Rockets are still in search of their first NBA championship since 1995.

For better or for worse, here’s a look back at some of the most pivotal games from the past decade as it pertains to that pursuit.

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Honorable mention

April 9, 2019: The Rockets (53-29) lost to the Thunder in Oklahoma City, 112-111, in the final game of the 2018-19 regular season. Houston led by four points with possession of the basketball and under 45 seconds left to play. The Thunder rallied on a 3-pointer and dunk from future Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, and a game-winning corner trey with under two seconds left from Paul George.

That loss dropped the Rockets from the No. 2 seed in the 2019 Western Conference playoffs to the No. 4 seed. In turn, that put Houston on course for a playoff matchup with the top-seeded and two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in the second round, rather than the third.

As it turned out, Warriors star Kevin Durant missed the entire Western Conference Finals due to injury after playing in five of six second-round games versus Houston. While there are no guarantees that everything would have played out along a similar timetable had Golden State played a different opponent in the semifinals, the Rockets were left to wonder, what if?, after Durant’s near-total absence made the Warriors more vulnerable in the series against the  Portland Trail Blazers and eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors.

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April 28, 2015: After a pair of first-round losses in his first two seasons in Houston, James Harden made sure it didn’t happen again. The Rockets star guard, who won Players’ MVP after that season, scored a game-high 28 points in a Game 5 series clincher at home in the first round against in-state rival Dallas Mavericks. Harden connected on 4-of-8 3-pointers (50%), and he also led Houston with eight assists.

This was also the game that led to a postgame controversy about the use of an emoji horse and gun from the Rockets’ official Twitter account.

With honorable mentions complete, read on for our selections of the top five most pivotal Houston Rockets games of the 2010s.

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James Harden: The world misses Steph Curry, Klay Thompson

Even after a tough loss on the holiday stage, Rockets star James Harden showed respect for his injured All-Star peers in Golden State.

In Wednesday’s loss on Christmas Day at Golden State, Rockets superstar James Harden had one of his lowest-scoring games of the 2019-20 NBA season to date with 24 points. Though he did have 11 assists, that point total was down more than 14 points from his league-leading average.

The Warriors routinely trapped and double teamed Harden near the halfcourt line, and his Houston teammates couldn’t take advantage of the resulting four-on-three scenarios. In all, the Rockets shot just 7-of-29 (24.1%) on three-pointers that were wide open. The team’s defensive effort was inconsistent throughout the game, as well.

Even with All-Star guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson sidelined by long-term injuries, the shorthanded Warriors (8-24) still got the best of the Rockets (21-10) in the 116-104 win. Despite the frustrating loss to an old rival, though, Harden immediately showed respect to Golden State’s ailing stars in the postgame locker room.

Harden said:

The world and the game is missing Steph and Klay. Obviously the game is missing them, obviously their fans are missing them. It would have been a great, competitive game — they beat us without them, so for us we gotta regroup.

It was an impressive show of class and composure from Harden after what was undoubtedly one of Houston’s most frustrating losses of the season.

The Warriors have knocked the Rockets out of the NBA playoffs in four of the past five seasons, and on paper, it looked like an easy opportunity for revenge on the league’s holiday stage. Instead, it was a deflating loss to a shorthanded rival — with the so-called “Splash Brothers” on the bench in suits — that Houston will likely remember for its missed opportunities.

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The Rockets have two more games this season against the Warriors on Feb. 20 and April 2. With both games after the All-Star break, it’s not implausible that Curry (hand) and/or Thompson (knee) could return for at least the second of those contests.

In the grand scheme, though, the Christmas Day loss was only one game of 82 on the regular-season schedule. The Rockets finished a tough West Coast road trip at 3-1, including a statement win over Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers in Los Angeles just a few days earlier, and are only a half-game back of Denver for the No. 2 seed in the West.

As a result, frustrating as Wednesday’s defeat may have been, there’s no need to excessively dwell on the loss in San Francisco. Harden’s postgame attitude would seem to suggest that they’re ready to move on quickly.

Houston has back-to-back games coming up on Saturday at home versus Brooklyn and then Sunday at New Orleans. Russell Westbrook is unlikely to play in the second for maintenance, though it’s possible the Rockets could have Eric Gordon back from injury to fill some of the minutes.

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Report: Eric Paschall listed as questionable for game against Suns

Warriors rookie Eric Paschall has had a nagging hip injury this season, and he’s questionable for Friday’s game against the Suns.

Golden State Warriors rookie Eric Paschall has flashed his multi-dimensional skill set in his first NBA season, but for now he might have to take some time off to get healthy.

According to ESPN’s Nick Friedell, Paschall is questionable for the Warriors’ game Friday against the Phoenix Suns. Paschall suffered a hip contusion during the Warriors’ Christmas Day win against the Houston Rockets.

Paschall has had nagging hip soreness this season, but he has played most of the season, as he’s only missed three games.

As one of the Warriors’ key players, Paschall has proven to be a top player of his draft class thus far. Paschall ranks second on the Warriors in field goal percentage behind Willie Cauley-Stein. According to NBA.com, he ranks third in scoring among rookies and fifth in rebounds.

Since Paschall has had to deal with a nagging hip injury, he should perhaps look to get some rest for the short and long term. The Warriors have a home back-to-back, with the Suns game Friday and a game Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks.

After the Mavericks game, Golden State then starts a stretch where it will play a game every other day from Dec. 31-Jan. 24. Six games during that 13-game stretch will be on the road.

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Christmas Day Basketball Review

Sports Pulse: What the results from the games on Christmas can mean for the rest of the season.

Sports Pulse: What the results from the games on Christmas can mean for the rest of the season.

The Warriors stopped James Harden by daring Russell Westbrook to beat them

The Warriors had a lot of interesting wrinkles to their defensive game plan, but the big key was: Dare Russell Westbrook to shoot.

The surprise of the NBA’s Christmas Day was the Golden State Warriors coming out of nowhere to beat the Houston Rockets, 116-104.

The Warriors entered the game 7-24, in the midst of what appeared to be a full on tank job. The Rockets came in 21-10, with one of the most fearsome offenses in the league, and James Harden running away with the MVP race, averaging nearly 40 points a game.

The Warriors stopped him. Or, stopped him as well as any team can hope to stop James Harden. They held him to 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting, and — pivotally — only let him take one free throw.

I was way wrong about this, as everyone’s favorite internet cop was quick to point out. I thought the Warriors wouldn’t be able to hang with the Rockets in any capacity, and I thought Harden would do what he does, which is score freely and get to the line a ton. Neither happened, and you have to credit the Warriors game plan.

Steve Kerr and assistant Jarron Collins had a flawless game plan for the Rockets — they trapped Harden like crazy, throwing multiple bodies at him, and then clogged the paint with guys who refused to foul.

The Warriors had their stroke of genius by often choosing to leave open one key Rockets shooter — Russell Westbrook.

Steve Kerr (Getty Images)

The Warriors had interesting wrinkles in their defensive game plan, brought secondary pressure from multiple angles, mixed things up with Harden with how they defended him off screens … but the simple fact was, for much of the game, they dared Russell Westbrook to beat them with his shooting.

This is … smart. This is smart because Russell Westbrook is a confident player and also, well, not that good a shooter.

It’s risky, too. If Westbrook got into rhythm, the Rockets probably would have killed the Warriors. But he didn’t. He never got into rhythm, and he also never stopped shooting. He finished 11-32 from the floor, and 0-8 from the 3-point line.

For Westbrook, after the game, he dismissed the Warriors’ game plan.

“It’s nothing we ain’t used to,” Westbrook said, via ESPN. “It happens. Tonight we missed shots, so it worked. You know, move on to the next one. Good luck though trying to do that.”

Harden similarly was dismissive. Again, via ESPN:

“That was their scheme, that was the game plan,” Harden said. “Looks like it worked. [We had] a lot of opportunities, a lot of great opportunities that we just didn’t convert on. It’s pretty simple.”

For the Rockets, they almost have to chalk this loss up. The Warriors threw everyone at Harden, he found open shooters, the shots didn’t fall.

Still, there has to be some concern there for Houston. Other teams will watch this game. If Westbrook can’t make the open three consistently, teams will give it to him. If he gets aggressive and tries to get in the paint, well, defenses are already there, set up to stop Harden.

Again, there’s no good answer here. If Westbrook even goes 2-4 to start the game from deep, there’s a chance the Warriors don’t commit so fully to the game plan. He’s not a great deep shooter, but he’s shown he can make them, and if he does, the game plan goes up in smoke.

Still, it’s an interesting wrinkle the Warriors found here, and one that other teams will certainly study and try out going forward.

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Warriors trap James Harden, and Rockets can’t make them pay

With James Harden routinely trapped, Houston’s shooters went ice cold from three-point range as the Warriors pulled away on Christmas Day.

The Golden State Warriors had a clear game plan on Christmas Day versus the Houston Rockets: Make anyone outside of James Harden beat them.

It proved to be a winning strategy.

After leading by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Rockets (21-10) scored just 36 points in the second half and lost by a 116-104 margin to the host Warriors (8-24), who have now won three consecutive games.

The Rockets finished their four-game West Coast road trip at 3-1, with a home game against the Brooklyn Nets looming Saturday.

The story for Houston was what happened when the ball was forced out of Harden’s hands. Even though the Warriors routinely trapped Harden just inside the halfcourt line, the Rockets weren’t able to consistently take advantage of the resulting four-on-three scenarios.

Excluding Harden, who had 24 points on 50% shooting from the field and 60% shooting (6-of-10) on three-pointers, other Rockets made just 10 of 41 long-range attempts (24.4%) despite many of those being wide open.

Excluding Danuel House Jr., who made 5 of his 12 three-point attempts (41.7%), other Rockets connected on just 5-of-29 (17.2%) shots from long range. Russell Westbrook led Houston in scoring with 30 points, but it came on 32 shots and an 0-of-8 showing from behind the three-point arc. Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore combined for just three makes from deep in 14 attempts (21.4%) off the bench.

Harden led the Rockets with 11 assists, but it could have been much more, had his teammates made those open shots.

Houston’s defense (or lack thereof) was also a story, with the Rockets allowing 24 points in the final five minutes of the second quarter after taking the aforementioned 53-40 lead.

Despite having Harden and Westbrook, the Warriors shot 12 more free throws for the game than the Rockets — in large part due to uninspired defense. Of those 28 total free throws, 10 came from Damion Lee, who led Golden State with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

Overall, the Rockets are now 8-4 in December. But it’s a month that the team may eventually remember for missed opportunities. Though they’ve had high-profile road wins against the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers (22-10) and defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors (21-10), their four losses have come to the Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and Sacramento Kings. All of those teams are at least five games below .500.

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Warriors rookie Eric Paschall suffers hip contusion against Rockets

The Golden State Warriors had a remarkable victory against the Houston Rockets but it wasn’t all good news as Eric Paschall injured his hip.

The Golden State Warriors had a remarkable victory against the Houston Rockets but it wasn’t all good news as Eric Paschall injured his hip.

The rookie forward, who was selected with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the year for Golden State. He ranks No. 5 overall on USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire Power Rankings.

However, he has been banged up with various injuries and ailments over the past few weeks. Paschall managed only six minutes of action on Christmas, recording just one field goal attempt against the Rockets.

According to Warriors coach Steve Kerr, the reason Paschall was not on the floor for longer is the rookie suffered a right hip contusion. Even though Kerr does not think the injury is serious, this is a growing concern for the team.

His hip has been a lingering issue for the rookie during his NBA career. But the forward has had other ailments, too.

Paschall suffered an injured right hand in mid-November. He then had an early exit during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 20 due to a knee injury. Fortunately, the MRI came back clean.

Golden State veteran Draymond Green, however, has noted that taking some time off may actually be a good thing for the former Villanova star (via San Francisco Chronicle):

“It might be a blessing if he has to miss a week or two. Things came at him really fast. … He handled it well, but it may not be the worst thing if he has to miss a week or two.”

Paschall has now been held out of the starting lineup for five games in a row.

Even though the missed time could hurt his chances of winning Rookie of the Year or earning First-Team All-Rookie considerations, the rest may go a long way for his future.

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Damion Lee surprises fans with Christmas gift: 22 points, 15 rebounds

Golden State Warriors starting shooting guard Damion Lee had one of the more memorable, surprising Christmas performances in recent memory.

Golden State Warriors starting shooting guard Damion Lee had one of the more memorable, surprising Christmas performances in recent memory.

The 27-year-old made just the sixteenth start of his NBA career but he was able to live up to the big moment on national television. Lee put up 22 points in the game, including 17 points in the second quarter alone to lead Golden State’s comeback effort against the Houston Rockets.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, he was the first player on the Warriors to record 15 points and 10 rebounds in the first half since Kevin Durant did such on October 28, 2016. He needed just sixteen minutes of action to accomplish the feat.

It was the sixth time that the two-way player has put up 20 points in a game during his NBA career.

Lee, however, had averaged just 2.8 rebounds per game since getting called up to Golden State last season. But he pulled down 15 rebounds in the match against the Rockets.

His mark against Houston was by far a career-best for boards, beating his personal record (11) when the Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans on October 28, 2019.

Overall, he ended the game with more points and more rebounds than Milwaukee Bucks superstar and reigning MVP Giannis Antetkounmpo recorded during his game against the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the afternoon on Christmas.

The accomplishment was unexpected but appreciated for fans of Golden State, who came into the game as 11.5-point underdogs. When considering it all happened alongside the allure of the holiday season, it was one that Lee will be celebrated for — and for a long time.

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Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Christmas Day’s Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors sports betting odds and lines with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets

The Houston Rockets (21-9) are hot right now — winning four games in a row — heading into their Christmas matchup against the Golden State Warriors (7-24) at the Chase Center for a 5 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Rockets-Warriors odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Special Christmas Day NBA Prop Bet

BET $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) IF ANY NBA team playing December 25th, 2019 hits a 3-pointer. Bet now!

Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

Rockets at Warriors:  Key injuries

Rockets

  • SF Thabo Sefolosha (illness) doubtful
  • SG Eric Gordon (knee) out
  • SG Gerald Green (foot) out
  • C Nene (groin) out

Warriors

  • SF Glenn Robinson III (ankle) probable
  • PG Steph Curry (hand) out
  • SG Klay Thompson (knee) out
  • PF Kevon Looney (abdomen) out

Rockets at Warriors:  Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:40 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Rockets 119, Warriors 104

Moneyline (ML)

On Christmas Day since 2010, favorites are 31-14 straight up. So, my advice is to PASS on a moneyline bet for either side of this matchup. The Warriors (+500) are tied with the New York Knicks for the second-worst record in the NBA and, despite winning its last two games, are going in the opposite direction of the Rockets (-715), who are currently the 3-seed in the Western Conference. The Rockets beat the Warriors 129-112 – and covered as 16-point favorites – in their only meeting thus far this season Nov. 6. But the value on -715 is simply not there given you’d have to wager $715 just to earn a profit of a $100.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

I love the ROCKETS (-10.5, -115) based on the teams’ head-to-head history and how much the Rockets would love to embarrass the Warriors on national TV. It’s not the same powerhouse Warriors team of recent years, but you gotta think the Rockets will still be motivated to get whatever revenge it can vs. a squad that has eliminated them, in heartbreaking fashion, the last two Western Conference Finals. The Rockets will relish in the opportunity to add a little insult to an already injured Warriors team.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 224.5 (+105) is the right play here. 27-34 is the combined O/U record for both teams this season. Also, the Warriors’ O/U record is 7-1 in their last eight home games. The Rockets’ 62.5% Under percentage in road games (6-10 O/U) ranks third in the NBA. Plus, the Under has cashed in six of the last eight meetings between these two.

It’s my hunch that primetime games tend to go Under because of the nerves due to the bright lights and a heightened intensity of both teams. As far as Christmas goes, my hunch is supported with numbers — the O/U is 18-24-3 in Christmas games since 2010.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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