Rockets stun Warriors in wild ending to advance in NBA Cup

The Houston Rockets hosted the Golden State Warriors at the Toyota Center for the West quarterfinal of the Emirates NBA Cup.

Houston entered Wednesday night's matchup losing 15 straight games to Golden State. It looked to change the narrative with the stakes raised and a chance to travel to Las Vegas to compete for the NBA Cup.

The Rockets came out the gates with high energy on the defensive end, forcing multiple turnovers which led to baskets on the other end. They held the Warriors to just 26 points midway through the second quarter, and got up to a 14-point lead.

Golden State, however, wouldn't go away as it went on a run late in the second to keep the game close, ending the half with a score of 44-37.

The Warriors continued to rally as their offense came alive in the third quarter. Guards Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield began to hit shots from beyond-the-arc, giving them a one-point lead heading into the fourth.

The fourth quarter however, was a back-and-forth battle as both teams began to put in extra effort on the defensive end, diving for every loose ball with a chance at a trip to Las Vegas on the line.

The game came down to the final seconds. Houston's veteran guard Fred VanVleet hit a huge three pointer to put the Golden State lead down to three. Star center Alperen Şengün then hit a layup with less than 30 seconds left to put the lead down to one.