The Golden State Warriors improved to 2-1 on the new NBA season with a 106-95 win over the new-look Houston Rockets on Sunday. Stephen Curry helped the Warriors pull away late to get the victory.
One of the new faces for the Rockets is the chippy Dillon Brooks, and Curry said that despite Brooks’ history, he remained focused on the game.
“We know what he’s about and his reputation,” said Curry to NBCS. “I don’t get caught up in that. I just play basketball. So, you obviously let the game do the talking. … There’s a lot of history with him particularly. At the end of the day, you just hoop.”
Brooks, a 6-foot-6 forward, is known as a defensive standout, and he made the All-Defensive Second Team last season. However, he has a reputation for being dirty, and he has been involved in a number of incidents that have resulted in him being ejected and even suspended.
One of those incidents involved the Warriors during the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. In Game 2, he hit guard Gary Payton II in the head after chasing him down in transition. The force of the hit was so hard that Payton fractured his left elbow and was forced to miss about a month of action.
Brooks was ejected from the game after being hit with a flagrant 2 foul and was suspended for the following contest. Golden State ultimately got the last laugh, as it won the series in six games and went on to claim its fourth championship in eight seasons.
The Rockets have an interesting roster, as they also brought in veteran guard Fred VanVleet on a lucrative contract. He went just 2-of-13 on Sunday, but the hope is that his skills and veteran experience will give them a shot at reaching at least the play-in tournament this season.
They haven’t been relevant since Russell Westbrook and James Harden were traded about three years ago after the team maxed out its potential with them. Now Houston has pinned its future hopes on young players such as Jalen Green and rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.
Meanwhile, the Warriors are hoping to revive their dynasty with the addition of future Hall of Fame guard Chris Paul. Off the bench, Paul had eight points, seven assists and five rebounds versus the Rockets.
