The Golden State Warriors are headed for a do-or-die Game 7 in Houston on Sunday, having missed a crucial opportunity to close out their first-round series in a 115-107 loss at Chase Center on Friday night.
After making timely shots that made him a villain of the Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals, Fred VanVleet was back to deliver a huge gut punch to Golden State's season.
The Fred VanVleet nightmares of 2019 are re-emerging for the Warriors
While the Rockets led for the majority of the game, the hosts were within two and right there entering the fourth-quarter. VanVleet then had a four-point play six seconds into the final period, in doing so setting in motion a dominant close from Houston who will take all the momentum back onto their home floor.
There was a lid on the Warrior rim in the fourth-quarter who continued to fire away from 3-point range with no success. Golden State were 2-of-18 from the field and 1-of-12 to start the period, having been outscored 20-5 through the first nine minutes in a stunning collapse on their home floor.
VanVleet had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on 7-of-13 shooting and 6-of-9 from 3-point range, continuing his hot form after 25 and 26-point performances in Games 4 and 5.
Steve Kerr gambled with a different lineup change, starting Gary Payton II over Brandin Podziemski in a starting group that hadn't been used all season. It may not have mattered anyway as Golden State were reliant on Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, with the star duo combining for 56 points in the eight-point loss.
Curry matched VanVleet's 29 points but on far worse efficiency, going just 9-of-23 from the floor and 6-of-16 from 3-point range. Butler got the line as usual and went 12-of-14, but was also just 7-of-17 from the field for his 27 points in 42 minutes.
Only Moses Moody (13) and Podziemski (10) also reached double-digits for the Warriors who shot just 41.1% from the field and 30.6% from 3-point range. The Rockets, on the other hand, shot 40% from beyond the arc and shot 46 free-throws as Golden State implemented the hack-a-Adams strategy with no positive effect.
Alperun Sengun had 21 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for Houston, with the visitors achieving the comfortable win without any real input from Jalen Green (12 points on 3-of-11 shooting) and Dillon Brooks (three points on 1-of-5 shooting).
The Rockets' double big lineup of Sengun and Adams continues to cause overwhelming problems, raising little optimism that the Warriors will now be able to respond in Game 7 at Toyota Center on Sunday.