Seeking to pick up a sixth consecutive victory and edge closer to securing an automatic playoff berth, the Golden State Warriors go head to head with Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
While the Rockets are all but guaranteed post-season basketball, they journey to Chase Center, where they have lost each of their last seven regular-season visits since a 135-105 win in February 2020 and will be looking to end this five-year run.
Match preview
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High-flying Golden State Warriors picked up a massive win in their push to avoid the Western Conference play-in tournament as they rolled past the Denver Nuggets 118-104 on Friday night.
The Denver Nuggets flew out of the blocks at the Chase Center as they quickly built a 12-point lead in the first quarter but the Warriors upped the ante, racing into a double-digit advantage by the third quarter, and did not look back.
Off the back of a 61-point display against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic dropped a team-high 33 points and was one assist shy of his 32nd triple-double of the campaign, but Stephen Curry led the hosts with 36 points, shooting 7-of-15 from beyond the arc, while Jimmy Butler and Brandin Podziemski combined for 45 points.
Steve Kerr's men have now won five games on the bounce, including consecutive victories over Western Conference contenders Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers and the Nuggets within the last four days.
With Saturday's result, the Warriors are now 21-5 since losing back-to-back games against the Utah Jazz and the Lakers back in February, a run which has seen them surge into fifth place in the West, half-game behind the Nuggets in fourth.
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Over in Texas, the Houston Rockets showed their playoff credentials on Friday night when they cruised to a 125-111 victory over Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City Thunder at the Toyota Center.
Jalen Williams knocked down a team-high 33 points on an efficient 62% shooting from the field to lead OKC, but Jalen Green (34) and Alperen Sengun (31) combined for 65 points to power the home side to victory.
Houston Rockets have now won all but one of their last six games — with a 104-98 defeat against the Lakers on April 1 being the exception — and are 14-2 from their last 16 outings since losing three back-to-back matches in the first week of March.
This fine run of results has seen Ime Udoka's men improve to a 51-27 record from their 78 games to sit second in the Western Conference standings, four wins ahead of the Lakers in third place heading into their final four matches of the season.
Next up for the Houston Rockets is a trip to the Chase Center, where they have lost each of their last seven visits to the Warriors, who head into Monday's clash on a 10-1 run from their last 11 home matches.
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Team News
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Barring any late fitness issues, the Golden Star Warriors will head into Sunday's clash with a clean bill of health, something that Kerr will be pleased with as they push for a strong end to the regular season.
Curry has been on song for the Warriors in their bid for an automatic playoff spot and the veteran guard, who has averaged 41.6 points across the last three games, will look to deliver the goods once again.
With his standout display against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Green has now scored 20+ points in six of the last seven matches and should lead the Rocket's offence once again.
On the injury front, experienced guard Fred VanVleet is considered day-to-day and the 31-year-old will be assessed ahead of Sunday's trip to the Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors possible starting 5:
Curry, Podziemski, Green Moody, Butler
Houston Rockets possible starting 5:
Green, VanVleet, Thompson, Adams, Sengun
We say: The Golden State Warriors to win by 5+ points.
Golden State Warriors have put together a fine run of results at the business end of the regular season as they look to avoid the play-in tournament and secure a top-six finish.
The Warriors have shown their mettle against the best sides from the West in recent weeks, and while we expect the Houston Rockets to pose a stern challenge, we fancy Kerr's side to come away with the desired result in front of their home crowd.
Joshua Ojele
