The Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets are in the midst of a series for the ages. On Wednesday night, with the Warriors up 3-1 and facing the possibility of closing things out, the Rockets came out firing to take home a massive 131-116 victory, ensuring that another game on Friday night will take place. And while the Houston Rockets were certainly the better team in the contest, it was Warriors’ star, Stephen Curry, that was in the spotlight.
In the first quarter, with the Warriors down 13-8 with just over eight minutes to go, Curry went up to take a three but was unable to connect on the shot as Rockets’ guard, Dillon Brooks, went up to contest the shot. But as Curry missed the shot and the Rockets got the ball back, he looked to the ref for a foul call, with some feeling like Brooks intentionally was looking to go after Curry’s injured thumb. And after the game, Brooks made a comment that all but confirmed everyone’s suspicions.
Brooks Responds to the Accusations
In the team’s postgame press conference, Brooks was asked about whether or not he targeted the thumb and while he did not explicitly say that he was, he suggested that that was part of his in-game strategy, hoping that it would disrupt Curry’s elite shooting ability.
“I’ve been playing the game,” Brooks said during the postgame press conference. “If I had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time. So whatever they’re saying on the broadcast, they can keep saying it.”
Brooks, who was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies prior to joining the Rockets, has been the subject of scrutiny among the Warriors fan base for years. Back in the 2022 playoffs, when the Warriors faced the Grizzles in the Western Conference Semifinals, Brooks was suspended for Game Three of the series after he committed a hard flagrant foul against Warriors’ guard, Gary Payton II in the previous game.
Curry & Warriors Look to Close Things Out
The one silver lining to the Warriors being bested by Brooks and the Rockets on Wednesday is that they now have the opportunity to win the series in front of their home crowd at Chase Center. A balanced team in terms of being able to win on the road and at home, the Warriors are currently 24-17 at home this season. But in the playoffs, at least since 2021-22, the Warriors have been virtually unbeatable in San Francisco, especially in big games, compiling a total record of 17-3.
Game Six will be another big test, but this time, the Warriors will look to be even more locked in. Curry, who is considered the greatest shooter of all time, has a reputation for coming up big in series clinching games– with his most recent big playoff game of note coming during the 2023 playoffs in Game Seven of the first round where he scored 50 points against the Sacramento Kings to help the Warriors win the series 4-3.
With a large crowd expected to flood the arena on Friday night, Curry and the Warriors will waste no time in giving the fans what they paid for. Eager to earn a small bit of rest before having to face the Minnesota Timberwolves, a win on Friday night is a must for the Warriors. Game Six is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. PT and will air on ESPN/ABC.
