Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
SAN FRANCISCO — The Houston Rockets are fueled by antagonism. Attempts to bully or bait them often unintentionally light a fuse.
No team has gotten under the Rockets’ skin more in recent years than the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green tormented the Rockets year after year in the Western Conference playoffs, and that reputation has carried through Houston’s rebuild and now to the other side.
The Rockets entered Sunday’s game as the No. 2 team in the West, three spots ahead of the Warriors. But no matter what the standings said, history designated the Rockets as underdogs in the Bay Area, where they had lost their last seven consecutive games.
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Sunday’s game at Chase Center was simultaneously a flashback and a potential playoff preview. Green revved up the crowd by jawing back and forth with Rockets wing Dillon Brooks and tangling with Rockets center Alperen Şengün.
But Green also succeeded in revving up the Rockets, who beat the Warriors 106-96 behind 43 combined points from Brooks and Şengün.
Jalen Green scored 21 points for Houston. Jabari Smith Jr., who had been questionable to play with a sprained ankle, scored 16 points with nine rebounds off the bench.
The Warriors were led by 20 points from Buddy Hield and 19 points from Brandin Podziemski. Curry scored just three points on 1-of-10 shooting for Golden State. Green, who spent much of the third quarter on the bench in foul trouble, had two points, three rebounds and four assists.
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The Rockets held the Warriors to 41.6% shooting and dominated inside, outscoring the Warriors 56-40 in the paint.
The teams traded leads for most of the first half. With the Rockets down by two points with 1:02 to go, Brooks drew a foul on Green but missed one of his two free throws. A few seconds later, Green was given a technical foul for shoving Şengün and arguing with the official, but the Rockets missed the free throw.
Green also fouled Fred VanVleet with 0.6 seconds left on the game clock but VanVleet missed both free throws and the Rockets went into halftime leading 51-50. Before the teams left the court, Rockets coach Ime Udoka appeared to exchange words with Curry.
Houston is the worst free-throw shooting team in the league and one of just four teams with a lower percentage than Golden State. The two teams combined to shoot 12-of-27 at the line.
The Rockets rolled out their usual starting five with Şengün at center and then vacillated between a double-big lineup and a small-ball group with Smith at center.
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The Rockets’ defensive priority was crystal clear from tipoff: aggressively deny Curry the ball. Curry dished seven assists in the first half but was 1-for-3 from the field, his lone make a 37-footer in the final seconds that sent the Chase Center crowd into hysterics.
The Rockets had multiple chances to extend their lead but missed five free throws in the final minute and ended the first half 2-of-9 at the line.
Houston tried to score in transition as much as possible early amid struggles to get going against Golden State’s halfcourt defense. But some the Rockets’ best offense came when passing out of double teams to find open weak-side shooters in the second quarter.
The Warriors closed to within two points with nine minutes left in the game, but the Rockets unleashed an 8-0 run to put the lead back to double digits.
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