What we learned as Steph Curry exits late in Warriors' NBA Cup loss to Rockets

What we learned as Steph Curry exits late in Warriors’ NBA Cup loss to Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors were pushing toward a wire-to-wire victory Wednesday night, but the wire began fraying late in the third quarter and snapped in the fourth.

As the Warriors began fading, the Houston Rockets came back to own the second half and slap a 104-100 loss on the Warriors, sending their record back to .500 at 10-10.

To make matters worse, Stephen Curry, attempting to take a charge in the fourth quarter, fell to the floor and came up limping. He tried to play through it but was subbed out with 35.2 seconds remaining.

Six Warriors scored in double figures, led by 21 points from Jimmy Butler III. Rookie Will Richard scored 18 points, Curry and Brandin Podziemski each finished with 14, while Draymond Green and Quinten Post each had 12.

The loss is the fourth in five games for Golden State, which is 1-2 on the homestand it hoped would be a source of recovery.

Second-year pro Reed Sheppard scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Rockets (12-4).

Here are three observations from a game that the Warriors are hoping won’t force their best player to the sidelines:

Warriors punished by Sheppard

With leading scorer Kevin Durant, averaging 24.3 points per game, unavailable while attending to a family matter, it figured Houston’s offense would be somewhat crippled.

It was, as No. 2 scorer Alperen Sengun was held to 16 points, six below his average, on 7-18 shooting from the field, including 0-of-4 from distance. No. 3 scorer Amen Thompson, averaging 17.9 points, was limited to 10.

The Rockets were saved by Sheppard, who averages 13.1 points but poured in a career-high 31 on 12-of-25 shooting, including 4-of-12 from deep. He added nine assists and five rebounds.

Sheppard got a few open looks, but also torched several defenders, including Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. Sheppard was the best player on the floor when it mattered most.

And Golden State’s point-of-attack defense continues to be a weak component.

About that third quarter

After a mostly impressive first half in which they led throughout, the Warriors’ offense sputtered to only 17 points, recording only five assists, in the third quarter.

The Warriors shot 7-of-19 from the field, including 0-of-8 from beyond the arc, in the quarter. They went from shooting very respectably to chucking up rocks.

Meanwhile, the Rockets rang up 27 points, trimming Golden State’s 12-point halftime advantage to two (76-74) and sending a wave of restlessness through the sellout crowd.

It was as if the Rockets remembered they are the league’s best rebounding team in the NBA and went to work on the glass while also turning Warriors’ turnovers into fast-break buckets. Moreover, the Warriors got the worst of the whistles, sending the Rockets to the line for 10 free throws, which gave them time to set up their fourth-ranked defense.

Warriors make early statement but can’t finish

The Warriors wasted no time in making it clear this would be a battle despite Houston being three games ahead of them in the Western Conference. They made their first five shots and went up 20-11 on a Curry layup with 6:16 left in the first quarter.

Playing solid defense and holding their own on the glass (25-25) against the league’s premier rebounding team, Golden State never trailed and went into the locker room holding a 59-47 lead.

Green not only frustrated Sengun but also outscored Houston’s talented young center 10-8 before intermission. While Sengun was minus-21 over 17 minutes in the first half, Green posted a plus-16 over 16 minutes. The biggest blemish in the first half was Golden State’s seven turnovers, which gifted the Rockets with 12 points – nearly one quarter of their total.

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