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Game Report: Warriors win fourth straight, top Western Conference

By Peter O'Keefe

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Injured player Klay Thompson (R) and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors (L) celebrates on the bench after a teammate make a three-point shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Chase Center on October 30, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Injured player Klay Thompson (R) and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors (L) celebrates on the bench after a teammate make a three-point shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Chase Center on October 30, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors have notched their fourth win in a row and move to 8-1 on the season, accounting for the Houston Rockets 120-107 at Chase Center on Sunday.

Not for the first time this season, the Dubs put the game to bed on the back of a devastating third quarter burst. After a Christian Wood dunk had the Rockets within three with just over five minutes to go, the Warriors ended the third on a 20-3 run to open up a 103-83 lead.

The Golden State Warriors took care of business against Houston to advance to 8-1 on the season and take ownership of the best record in the NBA.

The Rockets, on a back-to-back following a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Nuggets on Saturday, were more than competitive over the first half and then in the fourth quarter. However, the Warriors’ ability to amass a large lead in little time was a recollection of their dynasty years.

For the third straight game, it was largely the Jordan Poole and Gary Payton II show, combined with the overall team contribution that’s been a staple of the Warriors’ strong start to the season.

Poole, after 31 and 26 points over the last two games, scored 15 of his team-high 25 points in the opening quarter. He’d clearly heeded the comments of veteran Andre Iguodala, who mentioned that Poole’s next step was to get to the free throw line more in the aftermath of their win against the Pelicans on Friday. He made all of his nine free throws in what was a stop-start first half infiltrated by plenty of whistles.

Payton II, with his legendary father sitting courtside next to Warriors GM Bob Myers, continued to showcase his brilliant defensive capabilities and eye-catching athleticism on the offensive end. He scored in double digits for the third straight game, also recording a team-high in steals (four) and plus/minus differential (+27).

He was a part of a bench unit that again contributed invaluably, their workloads increased due to early foul trouble to Poole, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Perhaps the most electrifying moment of the game came from Otto Porter Jr. who sunk three triples in the space of a minute just before halftime. Through he and Nemanja Bjelica, the two off-season acquisitions combined for 25 points off the bench on 8-11 from long distance.

Golden State Warriors v Houston Rockets: Two Key Stats

1. Do the Warriors really have a turnover issue?

Within games across the season so far, the turnover-prone nature of the Warriors style seems to have been the only thing stopping them. But although the turnover issues have seemed to be glaringly obvious at times, statistics would suggest it’s not that much of an issue.

They conceded six fewer turnovers than the Rockets did in Sunday’s matchup, and they’ve only lost the turnover battle on two occasions through nine games; against the Clippers where they won by just two, and in their only loss against the Grizzlies.

They are 20th in turnover percentage, but that’s probably a realistic expectation for a team prioritizing ball movement over isolation possessions. It’s equalized by the fact they sit third in rebounding, at least for the moment.

2. Warriors won’t want a repeat of foul trouble

It seemed like the Warriors were fouling on every second possession in the first half, racking up a total of 28 across the game, seven more than their next highest so far this season.

Although they got away with it against a young Rockets team on a back-to-back, against a better team they’ll probably pay for having three key players all reach three fouls in the first half.

The Rockets also shot a mammoth 37 free throws in the contest, the Warriors were fortunate they shot them at under 70%.

Although a win against the Rockets doesn’t seem overly major, the Warriors will be happy they were able to again rest key players in the fourth, particularly given the Rockets had pushed fellow conference rivals in the Lakers and Nuggets.

The Warriors continue their homestand tonight against the Atlanta Hawks.

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