Written by Swikblog Sports Desk
Updated: 27 November 2025
What looked like another comfortable home win for the Golden State Warriors turned into one of the most dramatic Emirates NBA Cup turnarounds of the season, as the Houston Rockets stormed back from 14 points down to clinch a gripping 104–100 victory at Chase Center on Wednesday night.
For much of the evening, Golden State appeared in control. Their ball movement was fluid, the perimeter shooting sharp and the crowd fully engaged. But games — and tournaments — often hinge on a single spell of chaos. For the Warriors, that moment arrived in the third quarter, when Houston flipped the script with a 27–17 run that ripped the rhythm out of the building.
The Rockets tightened their defence, pushed the pace and began winning the effort categories. Possession by possession, the deficit shrank until the Warriors’ cushion had completely evaporated. By the time the fourth quarter began, the momentum had swung so hard that Golden State were suddenly the team hanging on.
At the centre of it all was rookie guard Reed Sheppard, who delivered the performance of his young career. He erupted for a career-high 31 points, adding energy on the glass and composure in late-game situations. Each made jumper felt bigger than the last, and his aggressive drives forced the Warriors’ defence into uncomfortable rotations.
The numbers behind Houston’s comeback tell their own story. According to the official box score on NBA.com , the Rockets dominated the offensive glass and turned second-chance opportunities into crucial points. That physical edge compensated for inefficient shooting from deep and kept them within striking distance until the offence finally clicked in the second half.
Golden State still had chances to close it out. Jimmy Butler III led the Warriors with 21 points, rookie Will Richard added 18, and Brandin Podziemski provided 14 off the bench. Yet their late-game possessions grew increasingly cramped, with hurried jumpers and rushed drives replacing the crisp half-court execution that defined the opening stretch.
There was additional concern for the home fans when Stephen Curry appeared to be labouring physically late on, after a series of collisions in what was an intensely physical contest. Early reports suggest a quad issue rather than something more serious, but any discomfort for their franchise star will be watched closely in the coming days.
From a tournament standpoint, the twist is that the win does not rescue Houston’s Cup campaign. As detailed in the ESPN game recap , both the Rockets and Warriors fall short of advancing from group play despite the spectacle in San Francisco. The result becomes less about brackets and more about belief.
For the Rockets, this is the kind of night that can harden a young core. Winning on the road, against a veteran group, after trailing big, reinforces that their physical style and depth can translate when the lights are bright. For the Warriors, it extends a worrying pattern of inconsistency and raises familiar questions about depth, defence and how heavily they must lean on Curry to close tight games.
If you’re tracking big-game storylines across sport, our recent deep dive on the nfl thanksgiving 2025 shows how momentum swings and fine margins are defining the 2025–26 season across leagues.
In the box score, it will go down as a four-point win. In the Rockets’ locker room, it will be remembered as the night a young team proved it could take a punch, stay standing and steal a game that seemed to belong to Golden State.
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