The Houston Rockets are in total control of Game 2 with a 14-point halftime lead that feels like it should be even bigger. The Warriors have had no answer for Houston’s physicality, and if Golden State is going to mount a rally, it’s going to have to do it without Jimmy Butler and probably Brandin Podziemski.
Butler has already been ruled out for the rest of the game after suffering a pelvic contusion on a hard fall in the first quarter.
Podziemski is dealing with a stomach illness and was questionable to to play prior to the game. He gave it a go but didn’t look anywhere near full strength before going back to the locker room. It feels unlikely that he’ll return.
Jalen Green, who struggled in Game 1, is leading the Rockets with 15 points. Alperen Sengun, who was the only guy able to do much of anything offensively in the opener, has 13.
Houston looks fast and comfortable offensively, and they are again controlling the offensive glass. Even when the Warriors do get stops, the Rockets are getting multiple shot attempts. If the Rockets are able to close this one out, all eyes will turn to Game 3 on Saturday in a 1-1 series and whether Butler will be able to play.
In the meantime, you can bet Stephen Curry, who has 11 points at the break, is going to try to pull one of his magic acts in the second half.
The Warriors currently have two starters in the locker room and their hopes of making a Game 2 comeback just took a major hit.
Jimmy Butler, as you can see below, took a hard fall on his tailbone area and was ruled out with a tailbone contusion. And now Brandin Podziemski is back in the locker room, too. Podziemski was questionable to even play as he is dealing with an illness. He started the game, but he’s still not feeling well and is questionable to return to the floor.
At this point, the rest of this game is almost an afterthought to Butler’s status moving forward in this series. The Warriors, even at full strength, have their hands full with an extremely talented and physical Houston team. They will be fighting way uphill if Butler can’t go in Game 3 or beyond.
The Warriors are trying to withstand a barrage of physicality early in this game and now they’re trying to do it without Jimmy Butler, who was unintentionally undercut by Amen Thompson on a rebound attempt and came down hard directly on his tailbone area.
Butler stayed in to shoot his two free throws but then was subbed out and limped back to the locker room.
We’ll obviously be keeping an eye on Butler’s status moving forward.
After going through warmups, Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski is in the starting lineup for the Warriors for Wednesday night’s Game 2 matchup with the Houston Rockets. Podziemski was listed as questionable with an illness but was listed in his normal spot in the starting lineup in the backcourt with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
The Warriors could be without a key player for Game 2 of their first-round series with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night as guard Brandin Podziemski was downgraded to questionable with an illness. Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters that something Podziemski ate was affecting him in the lead-up to the game. Podziemski’s status will be decided after he goes through warmups.
Podziemski, a 33-game starter, averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game during the regular season. In Game 1 of the series with Houston, a 95-85 win for Golden State, Podziemski scored 14 points while contributing eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
If he cannot play, Podziemski would be a notable absence as the Warriors look to take a 2-0 lead in the series before it heads to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday.
The Golden State Warriors took a 1-0 series lead over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Stephen Curry led the way with 31 points. Jimmy Butler was fantastic with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.
The Rockets trailed by as many as 23 but got it down to three late in the fourth quarter, but Golden State answered the run and closed it out late. This is what everyone was concerned about with Houston, not having a go-to scorer who can carry them in a close game’s late possessions.
The Warriors have no such problem with Butler getting to the rim and Curry hitting shots like this.
And this …
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 26 points but nobody else scored more than 11. The Rockets dominated on the offensive glass, where they’re going to be a major problem for Golden State all series, but for all the talk about the Rockets’ defense, Golden State is an elite defensive unit, too. Houston made just 6 of 29 3-pointers and shot 39% overall.
These two teams will now get two days off, which will help the older Warriors a lot more, with Game 2 set for Wednesday night in Houston.
Even by Stephen Curry standards, this falling-out-of-bounds 3 with the shot clock about to expire is madness.
Curry is up to 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 3 of 6 from 3.
The Golden State Warriors withstood an early rush from the Houston Rockets and methodically worked their way into a comfortable halftime lead. The Rockets are killing Golden State on the boards but the Warriors are winning everywhere else.
Stephen Curry got himself going with four finishes at the rim before he found his 3-point shot late to finish the half with 16 points. Jimmy Butler has been terrific with 13 points, four assists and three steals. Alperen Sengun leads Houston with 16, but nobody else has more than five as Golden State has clamped down to create 11 turnovers.
In the early going of Game 1, the Rockets have showed us everything we knew about them but were perhaps afraid to admit against the pedigree of the Warriors. The defense is incredible, the offensive rebounding is elite, and the shot-creation and shot-making are much better than they get credit for.
And most importantly, this Houston team is NOT afraid and is actually looking to be the enforcer — as evidenced by this absolute hammer dunk by Alperen Sengun over Draymond Green early in the first quarter.
