Tari Eason boldly challenges Steph Curry and crew ahead of high-stakes matchup: "Warriors come out to play"
Injured Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason fired a warning shot at Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors ahead of their high-stakes showdown next week.
Currently in a tight race for the 10th and final play-in spot, the Warriors and Rockets are looking to pile up the wins in the homestretch of the regular season to pad their respective causes.
Golden State won their game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday to improve to 38-34 in the Western Conference, a game ahead of the Rockets (37-35), who won their 10th straight game on Wednesday against the OKC Thunder.
The two teams collide in a crucial game in Houston on April 4, which could well be the difference if they are to make it to the play-in phase of the tournament or not.
Ahead of the high-stake contest, Eason, who is out for the season after undergoing successful surgery on his lower leg, moved to challenge Steph Curry and the Warriors.
Eason shared on his Instagram story a video clip of him issuing the challenge. He can be heard saying:
"Warriors come out to play ... Yeah! It's like that!"
The victory over the Magic on Wednesday was the second straight for Golden State. The game was the third of a five-game road trip for the team. The Warriors next play in Charlotte and San Antonio.
Houston, meanwhile, has not lost since March 7, allowing it make a spirited push for a play-in spot. The Rockets are set for a road showdown with the Utah Jazz in their next assignment on Friday.
Steph Curry and Warriors stave off Magic for important win
Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors staved off a tough challenge from the Orlando Magic to hack out an important 101-93 victory, to pad their play-in push.
The Warriors lost the services of energy guy Draymond Green early in the contest after being ejected for two technical fouls, but his team found a way to forge ahead and win.
Golden State was on top of things for much of the contest, with Steph Curry putting the finishing touches with a driving hook shot with a little over a minute to play and a dagger three-pointer with 34 seconds left.
Following the game, Curry spoke of the win and what did it for them (by way of NBA.com):
"We found a way to fight it to the end and get a win. It did start with the defensive effort of being detail-focused, talking, rebounding, and then we were locked in for a good stretch of the game."
Andrew Wiggins top-scored for the Warriors with 23 points. Curry had 17 points and 10 assists, while Klay Thompson finished with 15 markers.