Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to victory in their playoff opener against the Houston Rockets, scoring a game-high 31 points in a 95-85 win.
The seventh-seeded Warriors secured consecutive victories in Houston, with Curry also contributing six rebounds and three assists.
Jimmy Butler added 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, giving Golden State a 1-0 lead in the series, with Game 2 set for Thursday.
“Steph was phenomenal. He was remarkable,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
“Despite the pressure from (Amen) Thompson and others, he made some outstanding plays and clearly carried our offense along with Jimmy.”
The Rockets, who are the second seed in the playoffs, faced a disappointing conclusion to the regular season with three consecutive losses and have now dropped two games in a row at home.
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This is the first time Ime Udoka’s team has reached the playoffs since the 2019-20 season, when they were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the semi-finals.
When asked if a lack of experience was a factor, Udoka responded, “I wouldn’t attribute it to the moment; rather, it’s about the physicality at times, going after players, and just the nature of playoff basketball.
“It’s not really about the moment. Driving into the lane and attempting to shoot over too many defenders without finding your passing options has been a significant issue for us throughout the year.”
In other news, the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a 121-100 victory over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell recorded 30 points, while Ty Jerome contributed 28 points and Darius Garland added 27.
Jerome, who scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, was making his playoff debut.
