They may not be the same team that won three championships in four years, but the Golden State Warriors still demand the same respect.
To talk over them, taunt them, or try and walk over them is a gamble that you might wake up the championship core’s competitive instinct.
Tari Eason and the Houston Rockets learned that lesson firsthand in their April 4 matchup. The backup forward was spotted wearing a t-shirt that said “Warriors, come out to play.”
While Klay Thompson and the rest of the Warriors didn’t let it keep them from winning a sixth-straight game, they didn’t pass on the opportunity to call out Eason.
Golden State won by 23, and the shooting guard didn’t hold back postgame.
“That’s pretty lame,” Thompson told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Especially if you’re not even playing…But you’re just gonna be trolling from the sideline. Bro, what are we doing?”
Eason hasn’t played since January 1 and had season-ending surgery on March 5. But his shooting percentage will take a hit regardless, as this attempt at a joke didn’t land.
Rockets Have Been Chasing Warriors for 10th Seed
Houston, on the rise throughout the Western Conference, has been the only threat to Golden State’s hold on the 10th seed.
After the Rockets won a 10th-straight game over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 27, Eason posted a video on Instagram where he referenced the Western Conference Standings and shouted “Warriors, come out to play!”
The quote is a reference to the 1979 movie, The Warriors, where the protagonists are similarly taunted.
As is his custom, Draymond Green responded, on a March 28 episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.”
“I’m a little surprised that he hasn’t played in a game since January 1st,” Green said. “So it’s kind of tough to come out yelling, ‘Come out and play’ and you not gonna play… But I respect it.”
Curry took part in the drama, too, gripping three water bottles and clanging them together mid-game.
It’s another reference to the movie and a message to Eason and the rest of that Houston team that they heard him loud and clear.
The rest is history, recorded in black and white, and in the box score.
Splash Bros Shine in Win
Not only did the Warriors get the win over the Rockets, but they did so emphatically. Klay and Stephen Curry combined for 58 points on nine-made threes, to get their sixth-straight win.
Golden State improves to 42-34 on the season, which is good for a four-game lead over Houston in the standings.
Curry played 30 minutes and finished with 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Per Stathead, it’s his 14th game with at least 25 or more points, five or more rebounds, and at least five assists this season. The Warriors are 11-3 when Curry records that line.
Handle = ELITE.
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/FAWCDNlAYU
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 5, 2024
One other nugget: according to @StatMamba on Twitter, it’s been almost four calendar years since Golden State’s point guard has suffered a loss to the Rockets.
Thompson scored 29 points, his fourth-highest scoring mark this season, and his most in a game since a February 15 win over the Utah Jazz. It’s also the fourth time Thompson has connected on seven threes this season.
He’s up to 246 total threes on the year and has only made more in three of 11 seasons: 2015-2016 (276), 2016-2017 (268), and 2022-2023 (301).
SEVEN threes for Klay ☔️
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/PgZVQfXAGq
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 5, 2024
Thompson may not be the consistent two-way player he once was but don’t doubt his ability to turn back the clock when the moment calls for it. Or you could end up like Tari Eason.
