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[Saba Sports News] The Golden State Warriors are heading back to San Francisco for Game 6 after failing to close out their series against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
In a wire-to-wire blowout, the Rockets dominated 131-116 to extend their season by at least another 48 hours.
Houston came out with urgency, playing intense defense, executing efficiently on offense, and pushing the pace in transition.
Meanwhile, the Warriors looked flat from the start and never found their rhythm in what was largely a no-show performance.
After the loss, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr took full responsibility, as reported by Anthony Slater of *The Athletic*.
“I didn’t have them ready to play, clearly,” Kerr said. “We committed three fouls in the first two minutes, and they were 13-for-13 from the line in the first quarter. We can’t start a closeout game with that kind of defensive focus and energy and expect to win on the road. They took it to us—they were fantastic tonight. We’ve got to be better.”
From the opening tip, the Rockets looked like the more motivated team. Stephen Curry managed just 13 points and was the only Warriors starter to score in double digits before Kerr emptied the bench with nearly six minutes left in the third quarter.
Kerr’s decision to pull his starters early could prove wise, giving his top players time to reset before Game 6 on Friday night. The Warriors will need Curry, Jimmy Butler, and the rest of their core to deliver if they want to avoid a winner-take-all Game 7 in Houston—a scenario that would no doubt revive haunting memories of their infamous 3-1 collapse.
