Stephen Curry and the rest of the Golden State Warriors had no answer for the team's lack of energy out of the gate against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:
“I don’t know,” Stephen Curry said. “We’ve had letdowns like that with the Lakers without LeBron [James] and other cases, so we talked about it and tried to keep a pep in our step, but it didn’t come out that way. That’s why we lost.”
The Warriors fell to the Rockets 118-112 at home despite the absence of James Harden.
Instead, it was veteran floor general Chris Paul and shooting guard Eric Gordon who knocked the Warriors harshly off their feet. Houston jumped out to a 15-0 lead in four minutes and held on late.
Paul's 23 points, 17 assists, two steals, and five rebounds paced the Rockets, and he expressed his confidence afterward:
“I know what I’m capable of,” Paul told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not worried about what nobody else is talking about. … I’ll find a way [to be successful].”
Though Curry ended with a stellar line of 25 points, seven assists, and nine boards, it wasn't enough to overcome a lethargic performance that included poor defense and a lot of turnovers.
Golden State also lost one of its best two-way options in Draymond Green late in the game when he injured his left ankle, which only made things worse.
While the Warriors are still the easy favorite to win the title again, they have shown some warts this season, especially against Houston.
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