The Warriors secured their first victory of the Las Vegas Summer League after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 85-77 on Tuesday.
GAME LEADERS
The Warriors fended off a late run by Houston to beat the Rockets, 80-76, on Wednesday in the first round of the NBA Summer League Tournament in Las Vegas. Four players reached double figures for the Warriors, led by guard Keifer Sykes whose 17 points and 5 steals paced the team.
Both teams found a good scoring rhythm in the first quarter, as both knocked down three three-pointers in the period. Royce Oneale helped Golden State come out of gate hot, putting home nine points on 4-5 shooting in the first quarter. The Warriors carried a narrow 21-18 lead into the second period.
The game continued with a back-and-forth pace as the Rockets regained the lead a few minutes before halftime. The Warriors responded by going on an 11-0 run in the final 2:53 of the period. By halftime, nine Warriors players had scored at least one point, and the team entered the second half up 10.
The Warriors built their lead up to 59-42 after Oneale hit two free throws, but the Rockets answered with a run of their own. Highlighted by two Kyle Wiltjer threes, the team clawed back to within three points as a result of a 16-2 stretch. A Sykes three-pointer with under a minute remaining in the third quarter gave the Warriors a six-point cushion heading into the final period.
With key buckets from McDaniels, the Rockets took the lead for the first time since midway through the second. An elbow jump-shot from Sykes tied the game with 5:08 remaining, and the teams continued trading buckets until the final moments of the game. A Darion Atkins layup after a series of passes by the Warriors gave them a 76-74 lead with only 1:33 remaining in the contest. The Dubs would hold on to the lead from there to improve to 2-2 in the Summer League.
With the win, the Warriors advance in the Summer League Tournament and will face the Toronto Raptors in the second round on Thursday night in Las Vegas. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on NBATV, and Bay Area fans can also listen to a live stream of the game on the Warriors Mobile App.