The Golden State Warriors have lost most of, if not all of, their momentum heading into Game 7 of their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets. The Warriors dropped Game 6, 115-107, as the Rockets have now won two in a row to force a decisive winner-take-all game at the Toyota Center on Sunday.
Despite Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry combining for 56 points, Golden State couldn’t find a way to stop Houston’s poised offense, as Fred VanVleet put up 29 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists on 7-of-13 shooting from the field.
After the game, Butler made a claim to the media regarding the Game 6 loss and the potential outcome of Sunday’s Game 7. He declared that the Warriors haven’t lost their readiness to compete despite having lost two games in a row, and in Game 7, things will go their way.
“We were ready to compete tonight,” Butler said. “Things didn’t go our way. We’re going to be ready to compete on Sunday, and we’re going to make the game go our way.”
The last time Golden State blew a 3-1 lead in the playoffs was its infamous NBA Finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. The difference in those matchups is that the Warriors were at home in 2016’s Game 7. This year, they’ll be on the road.
Houston has all of the momentum going into Sunday. This would be a monumental victory not just for the franchise but for a young core that has surpassed expectations all season long. As for Golden State, that group will have to show its experience in such a high-stakes matchup.