Eason reveals ‘hatred’ toward Warriors after Rockets’ overtime loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors’ dominance over the Rockets over the last decade is well documented, but it appears the one-sided rivalry is taking its toll on one of Houston’s star players.
Golden State was able to avoid a fierce second-half comeback in the Saturday’s victory in overtime by 127-121 about the Rockets at the Toyota Center. Houston big man Tari Eason revealed that the Rockets’ surge after halftime is due to Houston’s disdain for the Warriors.
“I don’t like the Warriors,” Eason told reporters after Saturday’s game. “I just want to win, it really doesn’t get any bigger than that.”
Eason played his part even though the Rockets came up short against the Warriors once again, recording 27 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks for the losing team in Golden State’s overtime victory.
This isn’t the first time Eason’s tension with the Warriors has been on display, as the 23-year-old made waves after mocking the golden state towards the end of the 2023-24 NBA season. Eason referenced the 1979 movie “The Warriors,” posting a famous quote from the movie on his Instagram account as Houston inched closer to Golden State in the Western Conference standings.
As is tradition, the Warriors had the last laugh against the Rockets, with Steph Curry delivering the knockout blow with his own tribute to the classic film following Golden State’s crushing 133-110 victory over Houston a week after Eason’s comments.
While the Warriors’ continued dominance over the Rockets predates Eason’s time in the NBA, the Houston forward’s frustration is understandable as he never won a game against Golden State, falling to 0-6 in his career following the Saturday’s defeat.
The Warriors have won 14 consecutive regular-season matchups against the Rockets, and have also eliminated Houston from the playoffs in every postseason meeting between the two teams, with all four coming since 2015.
Simply put, Saturday was another predictable outcome in a one-sided rivalry. However, this chapter erased a career night for Eason, who has yet to enjoy the spoils of victory against Golden State.