At long last, the Warriors have won a game at home this season.

On Monday night, the Warriors improved to 7-8 on the season with a 121-116 victory over the Rockets. The Warriors have won their second home game of the season, though it took longer than expected.

The Dubs were slow to get going, which gave the Rockets a quick lead in the first quarter. Nevertheless, Golden State took a 29-27 lead in the quarter thanks to a great performance by the bench unit, which was led by Dario Šarić, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody.

Over the following two quarters, the Warriors progressively extended their lead, but they still couldn’t defeat the Rockets. With nearly twice as many offensive rebounds as Golden State, Houston was able to use those rebounds to their advantage and keep up with the Warriors’ offense, which was shooting at an incredible rate, making frequent trips to the free throw line, and committing few turnovers.

But the Dubs got into a groove and made some huge plays in the second half, extending their lead to ten points before halftime. The lead remained in that range for the majority of the second half, as the Warriors were unable to secure a decisive victory but also never threatened to let it slip away. The Rockets scored a few of points in the final seconds to pull within striking distance, but the Warriors were dominating the game the whole time.

It should come as no surprise that Steph Curry spearheaded the offense, scoring 32 points on 14 field goal attempts. For the first game this season, Klay Thompson scored 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting, including 5-for-11 from beyond the arc.

Not only that, but Chris Paul was outstanding for the game with a plus/minus of -12, 15 points, 6 boards, 12 assists, and 2 steals. In a game where CP3 had a stellar performance, Šarić, as has been typical this season, contributed from the bench. With 18 points, Šarić outplayed starting center Kevon Looney in terms of playing time.

Six different players for Houston scored in double digits, but their hot and cold streaks were inconsistent. While Fred VanVleet did manage a double-double (10 points and 14 assists), his three-point shooting was dismal (1 for 8).

The inexperienced Rockets front court was able to take advantage of the Dubs’ inferior front court defense due to Draymond Green’s ongoing absence and Šarić’s increased rotational role. With a combined total of 45 points, 23 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals, both Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün recorded double-doubles.

On Wednesday night, the Warriors will face the Phoenix Suns on the road, continuing their road trip. We will begin at 7:00 PM Pacific time.