Rockets too much for Warriors late, stay alive with Game 6 win - ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO — Fred VanVleet had 29 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds, Alperen Sengun contributed 21 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets kept their season alive by beating the Golden State Warriors 115-107 on Friday night and forcing a deciding Game 7 in their first-round playoff series.

Golden State went cold when it mattered most: The Warriors missed 13 straight shots between Draymond Green's basket with 10:12 left and a 3-pointer by Stephen Curry at the 3:35 mark.

Now, everybody will get back on an airplane and head to Houston for Game 7 on Sunday for a chance to meet well-rested Minnesota in the Western Conference semifinals. That's exactly what the Warriors were hoping to avoid with a chance to clinch at home in Chase Center.

«Just make everything tough,» VanVleet told ESPN after the game when asked about Houston's decisive fourth quarter. «Obviously, we know what they bring to the table. So just make everything tough. Contest everything. We got the double big lineup in the back to clean up at the rim and rebound. And then at the other end stay in attack mode.

From the play-in tournament to the NBA Finals, ESPN has you covered throughout the playoffs.

• Game-by-game analysis: East |West
• Paine: What a title would say for each playoff team
• Herring: Key matchups in each first-round series
• Pelton: Projecting each series through the Finals
• Offseason guide: What's next for eliminated teams
• What to know: News, schedule, scores, highlights

»I just think just our youth and out athleticism can wear on them over the course of the game, and we were able to have some success on them late."

Curry scored 29 points but shot 9-of-23, going 6-for-16 from deep. Jimmy Butler added 27 points, 9 rebounds and 8