The Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors will each look to boost their chances to advance to the next phase of the NBA Cup, as they square off in San Francisco for the first time since their heated battle in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Catch this game live on Thursday, November 27, 2025 at 11:00 AM, Manila time
Away: Houston Rockets (11-4, 6-2 Away)
Projected Starting Five:
- Amen Thompson
- Reed Sheppard
- Jabari Smith Jr.
- Alperen Sengun
- Clint Capela
After a close loss to the Denver Nuggets at home over the weekend, the Rockets kicked off a four-game road trip with a 114-92 crushing of the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. And the Rockets did it without future Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, who was away to deal with a personal matter.
Amen Thompson had 28 points to lead Houston past the Suns. It’s going to be the case again for the Rockets this Thursday on the Durant front, as the former league Most Valuable Player is expected to miss the date with Golden State for the same reason. Reed Sheppard was tapped to start in place of Durant in the Suns game, but he only churned out seven points on 2-for-9 shooting. Still, Sheppard is someone who’s on the rise and could get hot for Houston, just like he did when he popped for 27 points in the loss to Denver.
Meanwhile, Alperen Sengun could be in for a feast, with Golden State missing key bodies in the frontcourt due to injuries. Sengun is averaging 22.4 points and 9.7 boards per game for Houston, which is currently leading the NBA with a 122.5 offensive rating.
Home: Golden State Warriors (10-9, 6-1 Home)
Projected Starting Five:
- Stephen Curry
- Gary Payton II
- Moses Moody
- Jimmy Butler III
- Draymond Green (Probable)
The Warriors found their footing at last in their last game, scoring a 134-117 win against the Utah Jazz at home on Tuesday. That followed a three-game losing skid for the Dubs, who got 31 points from Stephen Curry and 20 points from Jimmy Butler. Buddy Hield also came through for Golden State, chipping in 20 points off the bench.
The Warriors relied on the long ball to outlast Utah in a high-scoring game, as they hit 19 of their 52 attempts (37%) from deep. It continues to be a major weapon of Golden State, which is tops in the NBA overall with an average of 16.3 made 3-pointers per contest.
One concern for Steve Kerr’s squad this Thursday is its decimated frontcourt that will not have Al Horford and Jonathan Kuminga due to injuries. Draymond Green is also in danger of missing the game with a foot issue. If Green gets ultimately ruled out, that should give the likes of Quinten Post, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Gui Santos more work.
Picks
Spread: Rockets (+2.0)
Over/Under: Under (225.0)
