Warriors eliminated from NBA Cup after blowing late lead to Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors blew another late lead, ending their dreams of winning the NBA Cup.
Golden State coughed up a six-point lead in the final three minutes and lost 91-90 to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup quarterfinal at Toyota Center.
Steph Curry, who finished with 19 points, had a chance to seal the game in the final seconds, but he missed a 3-pointer. Gary Payton II secured the rebound but a mad scramble ensued as he tried to get the ball to a teammate. The Rockets secured the ball and Jonathan Kuminga fouled Jalen Green.
Green made both free throws to give Houston the lead with 3.1 seconds remaining in regulation. Brandin Podziemski’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was blocked, dealing another tough loss to the Warriors, who call to 14-10 this season.
With the loss, the Warriors will host Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks at 5:30 p.m. PT on Sunday.
The Warriors fumbled away a golden chance to punch their ticket to Las Vegas after a sloppy first half.
Houston led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter and took a 44-37 lead into the locker room at halftime. Golden State clawed back, winning the third quarter 32-24.
And the Warriors were in control for most of the fourth quarter. But an issue that has plagued them all season — the inability to score late and close out games — popped up again.
Golden State has three days off before they host Thompson and the 16-9 Mavericks.
It might take the Warriors three days to get over Wednesday’s stunning loss.
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