Golden State Warriors survived a late surge from the Houston Rockets to win 115-113 in overtime Thursday at Toyota Center. Brandin Podziemski scored 26 points while De’Anthony Melton added 23 to guide the short-handed Warriors to victory.
Golden State trailed late in regulation before Al Horford’s three-pointer gave the visitors a 101-99 lead, forcing a tense finish that went into overtime after a Rockets turnover in the closing seconds.
The Warriors built a three-point cushion in the final half-minute of overtime, with Melton tipping in a layup with 5.3 seconds remaining to make it 115-112. Kevin Durant made one free throw after and a late foul by Houston allowed Golden State to hold on.
Podziemski hit a key three-pointer and a driving layup with less than three minutes left in overtime to put the Warriors ahead 111-106, while Melton added crucial baskets and defensive stops. Horford contributed 17 points, helping Golden State control the paint in Durant’s absence.
Stephen Curry missed his 12th consecutive game with a knee injury, with the team planning to re-evaluate him next Tuesday. Despite the absence, Golden State showed depth and resilience in a high-pressure environment.
For Houston, Reed Sheppard led the team with 30 points, including six 3-pointers, and Durant added 23. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson each provided late-game contributions, but the Rockets could not stop the Warriors’ balanced attack.
Golden State shot 48% from the field and 37% from three-point range while forcing 19 assists and limiting turnovers to 10. The Rockets finished at 46% overall with 41% from deep but committed 17 turnovers that proved costly in the overtime period.
The win improves the Warriors to 32-30, maintaining their position in the Western Conference playoff hunt, while Houston falls to 38-23, remaining fourth in the West.
Golden State will travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, and the Rockets will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
