On Monday night, the young and promising Houston Rockets will host the more seasoned Golden State Warriors.
The Dubs are currently in the 7th spot in the Western Conference standings while the Rockets are last, with the second-worst record in the league.
Injury Updates for Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors
Even Stephen Curry, whose individual brilliance has carried the Golden State Warriors to dizzying heights on numerous occasions, has his limits this season, when the Warriors have struggled to win on the road.
Saturday’s 133-119 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on the road was Curry’s worst performance in eight games since returning from a four-week injury absence.
The Warriors (36-36) suffered their 11th straight road loss despite his 16 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists despite missing 10 of 15 shots. Overall, Golden State’s road record plummeted to 7-29.
On Monday, the Warriors (0-7 on the road since the All-Star break) will take on the Houston Rockets (3-0 against them this season, with an average victory margin of 13.7 points and an average scoring output of 121 points per game) in search of their first road win of their current five-game trip.
During his first seven games after returning from a leg injury, Curry averaged 33.7 points (on 53.5% shooting), 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Nonetheless, fatigue set in, even for the seemingly unstoppable Curry, as the Warriors played the second game of a back-to-back after playing three games in four days.
Curry dismissed fatigue playing a role in his substandard shooting.
“That’s never an excuse for anything in terms of how you play,” Curry said. “You suit up and you expect to play great. Overall, we lost, so you don’t even feel like talking about anything else.”
Even when Curry is at his best, the Warriors’ road woes have been rampant all season. He started off the trip with 50 points, eight of which came from beyond the arc. That loss, by a score of 134-126 to the Los Angeles Clippers, showed that the Warriors’ issues go beyond Curry.
On the other hand, Klay Thompson contributed 14 points (6-17 FG, 2-9 3Pt), one rebound, and one block in 32 minutes of action.
Thompson and Stephen Curry were unable to score against Memphis, shooting a combined 11-for-32 from the field and 5-for-17 from beyond the arc.
While Curry added eight boards and five assists to his stat line, Thompson did not contribute statistically at all, recording a pair of zeroes.
At least Thompson’s streak of games with multiple triples improved to 24.
Injury report: Kevon Looney is doubtful to play on Monday, while Gary Payton II and Andrew Wiggins are both out.
The Rockets (18-53) dropped a tough one at home to the New Orleans Pelicans (117-107), and they’ll have to dig deep to play well on the road in the second half of their back-to-back.
Injury report: None of injuries.
