Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Getty
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has been to enough arenas to know when one feels different. Toyota Center is one of them.
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“This is a good building for us,” Kerr said after the Warriors stunned the Houston Rockets 115-113 in overtime on Thursday night. “A lot of good memories in that locker room. Feels like a playoff win.”
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It did feel like one. Seven players sidelined. Three two-way contract players eating meaningful minutes. Stephen Curry watching from afar. By any reasonable measure, a road game against the Rockets was a tough ask for a roster this depleted.
Brandin Podziemski made sure it did not matter. The 23-year-old put together the best performance of his season, willing Golden State to the victory and keeping the Warriors firmly planted in eighth place in the Western Conference.
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Anthony Slater
Steve Kerr on another win in Houston
“This is a good building for us…A lot of good memories in that locker room.”
“Feels like a playoff win.”
Podziemski Delivers When It Matters Most
Brandin Podziemski
GettyBrandin Podziemski has been a solid part of the Golden State Warriors’ rotation this season.
The numbers were impressive on their own. Podziemski finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, and four three-pointers on 10-of-18 shooting in 40 minutes. But the moments he delivered them made it something more than a stat line.
He scored 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, including a 26-foot bomb with 2:32 remaining in OT that gave Golden State a lead it would not relinquish. Earlier in the extra period, he read a flare screen, cut to the basket, and converted a layup that set the tone for the final push.
Steve Kerr was not short of words afterward.
“Incredible to watch,” Kerr told reporters via ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “I thought that was Brandin’s best game of the year. Just the right mix of on and off-ball attacks. His layup to start overtime gave us the lead. He recognizes those plays probably better than anybody else on the floor for both teams. Made big shots, big plays, and his defense was really good. Just a great, great game for Brandin.”
That last part matters. Podziemski’s defense has been a quiet talking point all season, and on a night when the Warriors needed stops as much as buckets, he delivered on both ends.
Steve Kerr after the Houston win: “Vintage Draymond. The defense, the leadership, the force, the passing.”
“I thought that was Brandin (Podziemski)’s best game of the year.” pic.twitter.com/21oYsHOMy3
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 6, 2026
The Warriors’ Supporting Cast Stepped Up Too
De'Anthony Melton
GettyDe’Anthony Melton of the Golden State Warriors in action.
Podziemski was the headliner, but this win required contributions from everyone. De’Anthony Melton finished with 23 points, three steals, and two blocks. Al Horford added 17 points. Gui Santos collected 14 points and six rebounds and was a game-high plus-20. Both Melton and Horford buried critical three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Meanwhile, Draymond Green turned back the clock with a vintage performance — 10 points, five rebounds, and eight assists while serving as the primary defender on Kevin Durant for much of the night.
“Vintage Draymond,” was all Kerr needed to say.
Even the two-way players answered the call. Rookie LJ Cryer came off the bench to score 12 points, including a massive three-pointer in overtime. Nate Williams gave the Warriors 18 useful minutes. Malefy Leons, guarding Reed Sheppard at the point of attack, looked composed beyond his experience level. All three had been playing for the G-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors earlier in the week.
“It was really fun to see LJ tonight,” Kerr said. “Comes out tonight, hits four threes, big shots, big minutes. We start him in overtime because we were trying to keep Melton’s minutes down. He made some huge plays for us, he’s a winner.”
Curry’s Message to the Team
Even from the sideline, Curry made his presence felt. Green revealed after the game that Curry had sent him a text message ahead of tip-off.
“Keep going. I know it’s tough, but promise you, I’m coming back,” Green said, quoting the message. “A bunch of exclamation marks.”
Green left little doubt about where his confidence stands heading into the stretch run.
“My confidence level is high, ultimately, because I know he’s going to put in all the work and do everything he can to get back,” Green said. “He’s not wanting to just shut it down. For us, just got to stay afloat. Nobody’s expecting us to go on a 10-game win streak, but you just got to stay afloat. Tonight’s a big step towards that.”
Anthony Slater
Steph Curry texted Draymond Green after the win in Houston: “A bunch of exclamation marks. Y’all did that.”
Here is Draymond on his recent conversations with Curry, who he said texted him today: “Keep going. I know it’s tough, but promise you, I’m coming back.”
Final Word for the Warriors
Wins like this one carry more weight than the final score suggests. For a Warriors team navigating one of the more difficult stretches of the Curry era, Thursday night was proof that this group refuses to fold.
Podziemski is growing into a player who can carry a load when asked. The two-way guys are contributing beyond their station. And somewhere, Curry is watching, texting, and promising he will be back.
Golden State is holding it together. The only question now is whether Curry returns before the window closes.