Rockets $12,350,392 PF Fires Savage Statement After Avenging Playoffs Loss to Warriors with Spectacular Comeback

The Houston Rockets snatched a dramatic 104-100 win from the jaws of defeat against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, and forward Jabari Smith Jr. wasted no time rubbing salt into the Dubs’ wounds with a savage statement.

The Rockets trailed by as many as 14 points on the night, but Reed Sheppard sparked a 27-17 third-quarter run that flipped the momentum against the Warriors.

Sheppard finished with a career-high 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting, adding five assists and nine rebounds in 37 minutes. Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson also chipped in with double-digit scoring.

The victory not only avenged last year’s bitter first-round playoff exit, but also marked a shift in a matchup the Warriors used to dominate. The Rockets had been winless against Golden State for four straight seasons before finally snapping the streak last year, when they went 2-3 in the regular-season series.

Immediately after the game, Smith, who’s on a $12,350,392 contract (per Spotrac), couldn’t resist mocking the Warriors and adding fuel to the rivalry.

“I love this shit,” he tweeted.

Jabari Smith Jr

@jabarismithjr

I love this shit

“That getback’s a mothafucka,” Smith ereportedly said while walking back to the Rockets’ locker room after the game, according to Warriors reporter Dalton Johnson.

Dalton Johnson

@DaltonJ_Johnson

Jabari Smith Jr. walking back to the Rockets locker room after beating the Warriors: “That getback’s a mothafucka!”

While it is still very early in the season, the Warriors have not done themselves any favors in their push to remain playoff contenders. The loss was Golden State’s fourth in its past five games, dropping the team back to .500. The Warriors now face an uphill task to regain ground.

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Steve Kerr Vents Frustration After Warriors’ Struggles Continue

The Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr wasn’t pleased with the team’s performance in Wednesday’s 104-100 loss to the Rockets. He made his frustration known with a critical assessment of the team’s performance over the first 20 games of the season.

“You are what your record says you are,” he told reporters after the game. “We’re 10-10. We’re an average team and I think we have the potential for much more. It’s my job as coach to help these guys find that rhythm.”

On paper, the Warriors should have won Wednesday’s game with the Rockets missing Kevin Durant, Tari Eason and Steven Adams. But it just goes to show that you still need a team around Stephen Curry, who went down with an injury in the final quarter.