Stephen Curry
25POINTS20:49MINUTES
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
Warriors at Rockets: both 8–3, Butler out and Richard questionable
Golden State has won eight straight after beating New Orleans 138–87. Houston returned to winning form with a 110–100 victory over Denver. Both are 8–3 ahead of Thursday's 1:30pm AEDT meeting in Houston, with no intervening game scheduled. The NBA report lists Jimmy Butler III among five Warriors ruled out and Will Richard as Questionable. Houston lists four absences, including Steven Adams and Clint Capela. Participation for unlisted players remains unconfirmed.
First published Wed, 11 Nov, 5:30 am AEDT (Sydney time). Based on reports checked at Wed, 11 Nov, 8:40 am AEDT (Sydney time).
What shapes this game
Golden State has turned an 0–3 start around
The Warriors lost their first three games to the Lakers, Memphis and Phoenix, then won their next eight. The latest 138–87 win over New Orleans was their widest margin in that sequence and takes them to 8–3. Houston reached the same record by beating Denver 110–100 after defeats against Minnesota and Phoenix. There is a strong overall scoring balance behind both records, but Golden State has sustained its current winning run for longer. Neither team has an intervening fixture before Thursday's 1:30pm AEDT meeting, so the latest completed games remain the immediate reference points for this early preview. Houston has listed Adams and Capela as Out. Golden State's submitted report now lists Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Kristaps Porzingis and Brandon Williams as Out, with Will Richard Questionable. Richard's participation remains unresolved, while unlisted names do not confirm availability.
The Warriors' shooting return overwhelmed New Orleans
Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski scored 25 points each, in 20:49 and 26:17 respectively. Yaxel Lendeborg added 23 in 27:27 and De'Anthony Melton had 16 in 26:14. Golden State made 50 of 91 field-goal attempts, including 21 of 44 threes, and 17 of 19 free throws. New Orleans made 29 of 80, including eight of 28 threes, and 21 of 24 at the line. The Warriors had 37 assists, won the rebound count 50–31 and committed 11 turnovers to the Pelicans' 13. That is a broad set of advantages behind a 51-point win, although the result does not establish the shooting return they will get in Houston or who will participate. Williams played in that completed game but is now listed as Out; Richard remains Questionable alongside Golden State's five reported absences.
Houston won a closer game through shooting and second chances
Kevin Durant scored 23 points in 36:10 against Denver, Alperen Sengun added 20 in 35:07 and Jabari Smith Jr. had 14 in 37:33. Houston made 41 of 91 field-goal attempts, including 14 of 38 threes. Denver made 37 of 83 shots and eight of 29 threes. The Rockets won the rebound count 50–39, including 15–7 on the offensive boards, while turnovers were level at ten each. Denver made 18 free throws to Houston's 14, but the Rockets' four extra made field goals and six extra threes supplied enough points to offset that difference. The offensive-rebound advantage also sits alongside their eight additional shot attempts. Adams and Capela were both DNP - Coach's Decision in that completed game; the current report lists them as Out through injury.
The scoring margins are almost identical
Through 11 games each, Golden State has averaged 120.4 points and allowed 111.2, an average margin of plus 9.2. Houston has scored 115.5 and allowed 106.4, a margin of plus 9.1. The Warriors have the higher effective field-goal percentage, 57.2% against 55.0%. Houston has the lower turnover rate, 14.8% against 16.0%, and higher offensive-rebound share, 31.6% against 29.8%. Those differences offer more detail than the matching records: Golden State's stronger shooting return sits against Houston's possession measures. The schedules differ, and none of these figures is adjusted for opponents or availability, including Butler and Golden State's other reported absences, Houston's four absences and Richard's unresolved participation. They are descriptive comparisons, not a projected margin, whether Richard plays or misses the game.
Golden State lists five out and Richard questionable
The NBA's latest supplied report lists Jimmy Butler III as Out following right ACL repair/surgery and Moses Moody as Out following left patellar tendon repair/surgery. Golden State also lists Gary Payton II as Out with left knee inflammation, Kristaps Porzingis as Out because he is not with the team, and Brandon Williams as Out with a left hamstring strain. Will Richard is Questionable with a left thumb UCL tear. If Richard plays, his minutes and role are not established by the report. If he misses, he joins the five reported absences, but the evidence does not identify a replacement or establish changes to anyone else's minutes. Houston lists Steven Adams as Out with a right soleus strain and Clint Capela as Out with a right ankle sprain. Quadir Copeland and Julian Phillips are Out on G League two-way assignments. Curry, Podziemski, Durant and Sengun appear in the player cards because of their latest completed contributions; being unlisted does not establish their participation. If they participate, those games are relevant context, not expected output. If any is absent or restricted, the analysis needs to account for that change without assigning unsupported replacement minutes or numerical effects. There is no supported starting-five projection in the current evidence. With no intervening game scheduled, the next important information is updated reporting and any roster or fixture changes before Thursday.
The early numbers
| Season to date | GSW | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| Points / game | 120.4 | 115.5 |
| Points allowed / game | 111.2 | 106.4 |
| Estimated offence / 100 | 121.9 | 120.3 |
| Estimated defence / 100 | 112.6 | 110.8 |
| Effective FG% | 57.2% | 55.0% |
| Offensive rebound share | 29.8% | 31.6% |
Small samples across different schedules. Estimated possession ratings are descriptive, with no opponent or availability adjustment.
Golden State Warriors · last three
| NBA date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-09 | vs NOP | W 138–87 |
| 2026-11-07 | vs ORL | W 126–119 |
| 2026-11-05 | vs MIA | W 120–100 |
Houston Rockets · last three
| NBA date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-09 | vs DEN | W 110–100 |
| 2026-11-07 | at PHX | L 99–102 |
| 2026-11-04 | vs MIN | L 107–117 |
Recent contributions
Each player’s latest completed game. Recorded points and minutes, rather than projected roles or output.
Brandin Podziemski
25POINTS26:17MINUTES
Kevin Durant
23POINTS36:10MINUTES
Alperen Sengun
20POINTS35:07MINUTES
Availability and what can change
The NBA injury report published at 21:30 UTC on 10 November, checked at 21:40:15 UTC, includes both teams' game-specific entries. Golden State lists Jimmy Butler III as Out following right ACL repair/surgery, Moses Moody as Out following left patellar tendon repair/surgery, Gary Payton II as Out with left knee inflammation, Kristaps Porzingis as Out because he is not with the team, and Brandon Williams as Out with a left hamstring strain. Will Richard is Questionable with a left thumb UCL tear; that designation is not a prediction that he will play. Houston lists Steven Adams as Out with a right soleus strain and Clint Capela as Out with a right ankle sprain. Quadir Copeland and Julian Phillips are Out on G League two-way assignments. Unlisted names do not establish availability, and neither starting five is confirmed. The player cards describe completed performances, not confirmed participation or expected minutes on Thursday.
Report published Wed, 11 Nov, 8:30 am AEDT (Sydney time). An unlisted name does not certify availability.
Golden State Warriors
| Player | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Butler III, Jimmy | Out | Right ACL Repair / Surgery |
| Moody, Moses | Out | Left Patellar Tendon Repair / Surgery |
| Payton II, Gary | Out | Left Knee Inflammation |
| Porzingis, Kristaps | Out | Not With Team |
| Richard, Will | Questionable | Left Thumb UCL Tear |
| Williams, Brandon | Out | Left Hamstring Strain |
Houston Rockets
| Player | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Adams, Steven | Out | Right Soleus Strain |
| Capela, Clint | Out | Right Ankle Sprain |
| Copeland, Quadir | Out | G League - Two-Way |
| Phillips, Julian | Out | G League - Two-Way |
Before tip-off
- This is a revised draft, not an approval. Submit the complete article to two independent reviews and start a new full hour in Hub. Any further content change invalidates prior checks and approval and restarts the review hour.
- Check updated official game-specific reports and reliable participation information before Thursday 12 November's 1:30pm AEDT tip. Both teams have now submitted reports. Recheck Golden State's five Out designations, Richard's Questionable status and Houston's four Out designations. Questionable is not a prediction of participation; unlisted names remain unknown, not available.
- Use the exact fresh official source for the replacement availability table: https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2026-11-10_04_30PM.pdf. Remove the superseded NOT YET SUBMITTED row. Check that the headline, standfirst, every paragraph, assessment, availability note and player-card implications agree with all ten supplied entries. Reflect any further major withdrawal throughout affected prose, not just in the table.
- Keep starting fives unknown unless supported evidence is supplied. Label any supported unconfirmed lineup Projected and cite its basis in recent selections, reliable reporting or coaching statements, never scoring or minutes alone.
- Recheck the fixture, rosters, latest results, every displayed statistical table and any statistical corrections. No intervening fixture is currently scheduled. Keep completed-game figures separate from participation and expected minutes, including Williams' appearance against New Orleans and his current Out status.
- Complete the final full review checkpoint by 11:30am AEDT on Thursday 12 November, two hours before the verified tip. Missed checkpoints or late revisions require manual review. Unresolved availability or unconfirmed starting fives do not themselves prevent an accurate, properly qualified narrative from proceeding through review.
- Keep the game UNRATED and all forecasts, prices, probabilities, edges, stakes and betting selections disabled. Each team has met the ten-game minimum, but there is no reviewed eligible prediction implementation.
The SavvyPlays view
Golden State's eight-game run is backed by a strong scoring balance, while Houston's win over Denver ended two successive defeats. Both latest victories included shooting advantages, and Houston's offensive rebounding adds another part of the matchup to watch. The near-identical average margins make the different shooting and possession figures more informative than the records alone. Golden State now lists Butler, Moody, Payton, Porzingis and Williams as Out, with Richard Questionable. His participation remains unresolved, and neither his inclusion nor his absence supports an assumed replacement lineup or numerical adjustment. Houston lists Adams and Capela as Out, along with Quadir Copeland and Julian Phillips. Adams and Capela also did not play against Denver, so that rebounding result remains useful historical context, not a measure of the effect of their current absences. Participation for Curry, Podziemski, Durant and Sengun is not established by their absence from the supplied injury list. The game stays UNRATED, without a projected score or betting selection. This remains a revised draft for two independent reviews and a new full hour in Hub, not an approval.
UNRATED · NO FORMAL FORECAST OR BETTING SELECTIONSources and reading notes
Based on reports checked at Wed, 11 Nov, 8:40 am AEDT (Sydney time). Results use the NBA’s US game date. Tip-off times use Australia/Sydney.
- NBA fixture
- Official NBA injury report
- Golden State Warriors latest result
- Houston Rockets latest result
How to read the statistics
Effective field-goal percentage adds half a made three to made field goals, divided by attempts. Offensive rebound share is offensive rebounds divided by offensive rebounds plus opponent defensive rebounds. Rates use summed numerators and denominators. Existing possession estimates are retained; no model refit, current market price or betting selection is supplied.