The Golden State Warriors begin a three-game road trip Thursday night with a matchup against the Houston Rockets. The game is set for 4:30 PM PT in Houston and can be watched on Prime Video and NBC Sports Bay Area.
Previously with the Warriors:
Golden State enters tonight’s matchup on a two-game losing streak following Monday’s 114-101
loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors started off strong, jumping out to a 31-19 lead in the first quarter and building a cushion that reached as many as 17 points. But the Clippers slowly worked their way back before taking full control after halftime, outscoring the Warriors 72-45 over the final two quarters.
Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 23 points for Los Angeles. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 22 points, while two-way wing Nate Williams provided a surprising spark off the bench with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
What to watch for tonight:
One of the main storylines heading into Thursday’s matchup is the availability of Kristaps Porzingis. The Warriors’ newly acquired big man has appeared in just one game for Golden State while missing the past five with an illness. Porzingis has already been ruled out for tonight’s game, but he did travel with the team unlike the previous road trip, offering hope that he could return at some point during this stretch.
Without Porzingis, Stephen Curry, and now Moses Moody — who is also out after injuring his shoulder against the Clippers — generating offense will be a challenge for Golden State. That task becomes even tougher considering their opponent is a Rockets team that ranks fifth in the NBA with a defensive rating of 111.7 and features athletic young wings like Amen Thompson.
That puts additional pressure on Podziemski to carry the scoring load. The third-year guard is averaging 12.4 points per game this season and is the only Warrior to appear in all 61 games. He has scored 16 points or more in four of the team’s last five games and will likely need another strong performance for the Warriors to have a chance in this one.
Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
Projected Starters
Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, Draymond Green, Al Horford
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
How to watch Regular Season Game 62
Who: Golden State Warriors (31 – 30) vs. Los Angeles Rockets (38 – 22)
When: Thursday, March 5th, at 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
TV and Streaming: Prime Video and NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)
