Houston erased a 12-point halftime deficit and closed strong to beat Golden State 104–100 in Emirates NBA Cup group play at Chase Center, powered by a career-high 31 points from Reed Sheppard. The Warriors led 59–47 at the break but were outscored 57–41 in the second half as Houston seized control late, punctuated by an Alperen Sengun fadeaway in the final minute. The result pushed the Rockets to 12–4 overall and 7–2 away, while the Warriors slipped back to 10–10.
Sheppard’s performance anchored the comeback. He finished with 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting, adding nine rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes. Sengun contributed 16 points and six assists, Jabari Smith Jr. added 15, and Amen Thompson piled up 14 rebounds to tilt possession battles after halftime. Clint Capela gave Houston a bruising 12 boards off the bench, stabilizing the paint during the fourth-quarter push. Houston won the glass and tightened its half-court defense, limiting Golden State to 17 third-quarter points and closing with cleaner shot creation down the stretch.
Golden State’s offense stalled after a sharp first half marked by ball movement and pace, and the Warriors could not rediscover rhythm as Houston choked off driving lanes and contested threes. Stephen Curry, who supplied a highlight-reel behind-the-head assist earlier, exited late after coming up limping while attempting to take a charge, adding concern to a night that slipped away in the final minutes.
In his postgame remarks, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pointed to the decisive momentum shift after halftime, noting how Houston “owned the second half” and how Golden State’s offense frayed as the Rockets’ physicality escalated. Kerr’s assessment matched the flow: a wire-to-wire bid that unraveled in the third quarter and couldn’t be rescued in the fourth, particularly once Houston’s guards and bigs set the terms on the boards and in transition.
Houston’s win capped a measured second-half takeover: contested perimeter defense, controlled tempo, and extra possessions via rebounding to chip away and eventually flip the scoreboard. For Golden State, the game underscored the cost of dry spells and turnover pockets against an athletic, relentless Rockets group.
