The Golden State Warriors were dreadful on Sunday night, losing to the lowly Phoenix Suns at home in Oakland for their fourth defeat in six games. That unsightly result was bad enough but the unfavorable outcome also came with a hint of controversy when head coach Steve Kerr was captured voicing some displeasure with Draymond Green. While things appeared to blow over with that bit of news, the Warriors still have a (very) big game looming against the scalding-hot Houston Rockets on Wednesday evening and everyone is looking forward to it.
In fact, Stephen Curry said as much in the aftermath of that disastrous loss, pointing to the team’s next contest as one to circle.
“The beauty of the NBA is that on Wednesday we have an opportunity to send a statement,” said Curry, via Marc J. Spears of ESPN. “We have to take advantage of that opportunity. We’re looking forward to it, no question.”
There wasn’t anything terribly out of the ordinary with Curry’s quote, particularly given the nature of the rivalry between the two teams and the fact that Golden State did not have a game between Sunday and Wednesday. That didn’t stop Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni from having some fun at the Warriors expense when asked about Curry’s “statement” comment.
Mike D'Antoni on Steph Curry's 'statement' comment: "Yeah, well they should've probably said it before (the Suns game)."
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) March 12, 2019
Houston won their ninth straight game on Monday evening, cruising past the Charlotte Hornets, and D’Antoni was probably in a good mood as a result. This is undeniably hilarious, though, and it reflects the notion that the Rockets are loose and confident with their high level of recent play.
There were plenty of reasons to watch Warriors-Rockets on Wednesday night, particularly as a way to see if the Warriors can find another gear in the midst of a cold stretch. Houston isn’t backing down, however, and that makes things even more intriguing.
