ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Houston Rockets (27-26) were at #Roaracle to face the Golden State Warriors (46-4).
The Warriors were without Festus Ezeli (exploratory knee surgery possibly related to cartilage issue).
The Rockets were without Terrence Jones (concussion) and Sam Dekker (low back pain). K.J. McDaniels and Donatas Motiejunas are assigned to the D-League on rehab assignments coming back from recent injuries.
1st Quarter – Cheffin’
The Warriors got off to another great start as Draymond Green gave his trademark alley-oop lob to Andrew Bogut on the opening possession:
Nice start to the game by @andrewbogut (TNT). pic.twitter.com/YY4FdApdgm
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) February 10, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Dwight Howard missed a turnaround hook shot, then Bogut scored again on a feed from Stephen Curry.
Curry then drilled a triple from about 27 feet on a dribble from Klay Thompson…
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
…then scored again on a layup as Corey Brewer’s lob to Howard was too short, Bogut tapped it out, and Green made the outlet to the streaking Curry for an easy layup.
Rockets head coach J.B. Bickerstaff took a timeout as the Warriors took a 9-2 lead with 9:59 still left.
Howard got the Rockets back on their feet with an and-one post-up out of the timeout, but Bogut got a tip-in, then after Trevor Ariza buried a triple, came back and forced a turnover after Brewer rebounded a missed Klay three and Howard subsequently lost it. Curry finished the sequence with a layup with Harden heavily criticized on Twitter for his defense:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Later, Bogut suddenly tried a long two, a near-three, but probably thought the shotclock was about to expire after Howard grabbed a disrupted Draymond floater and stepped on the baseline out of bounds. The scorekeeper had reset the shotclock, though, so it counted as two straight empty Warriors possessions.
The Warriors then went on a 17-8 run over the next two minutes as made two jumpers sandwiched between two slam dunks, the first assisted by Curry out of a made bucket by Patrick Beverley, and the second a fastbreak trailing dish from Andre Iguodala after Harden lost the ball to Bogut.
Then it was Steph’s turn, hitting three threes in a row…
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
…the third from the left corner as Klay posted up against Beverley with Harden on Curry. Thompson got stuck on the baseline after posting up from the right block, but slung a laser to Steph who rainbowed the shot past a late Harden close-out:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Thompson stayed hot, getting a jumper to swish off an off-ball screen from Bogut and delivery from Curry, and the Warriors held a 32-20 lead with 2:23 to go:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Marreese Speights checked in and, true to form, made an immediate and-one layup, then after Curry’s fifth triple of the quarter, giving him 19 points…
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
…Speights also hit a three on a catch from Steph.
That gave Golden State a 42-27 lead heading into the second stanza.
2nd Quarter – Harden Takes Over
Speights continued his sharp-shooting into the second quarter, drilling a step-back, then Harrison Barnes added one, too. Shaun Livingston unsurprisingly got a pretty up-and-under reverse layup on his first attempt as well:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
But the game slowed a bit with four shooting fouls and, after a Speights catch-and-swish from the left wing, Curry checked back in with 7:01 remaining before halftime with the Warriors still up by 15, 52-37.
Harden got two free throws, then a three, then another trip to the free throw line, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr took a timeout with 5:51 to go and Golden State up, 54-43, after the free throws by Harden.
Harden went on a personal crusade, scoring 15 consecutive points for the Rockets, including three triples, until Beverley attacked the rim in transition after a bad miss in the lane on a turnaround by Thompson.
Green came over to help and seemed to swat the ball at the rim, but was called for a touch foul:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Draymond walked away angrily then came back for a heated discussion with the ref during the first free throw, while Curry tried to calm him down and get in the way.
Green did not incur a technical foul, as the ref seemed to admit fault:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Green was subbed out by Kerr after that first free throw. Draymond sat down with three personal fouls before halftime.
Beverley made one of two and the Rockets climbed back to a 58-52 deficit, but a Brewer foul on Iguodala in the penalty, then a “Hack-A-Bogut” by Bickerstaff as Clint Capela fouled Bogut, resulted in four free throws for the Warriors’ two worst charity stripe shooters.
Incredibly, Iguodala and Bogut made all free throws.
Howard got a dunk inside, but Curry pulled up from the a few feet past the top of the arc after bringing the ball up and at the next timeout, Golden State maintained a 65-54 lead with 2:28 to play:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
After another trey by Harden, both coaches played the “Hack-A” strategy, with Bogut making one of two and Howard missing both, but Curry couldn’t capitalize as he missed a dribble drive layup.
Brandon Rush checked in a fouled Howard again, Dwight missed both again, and Steph got a reverse layup, giving him 26 points in the half.
But Marcus Thornton came alive, burying a triple then scoring a layup after a turnover off the dribble by Klay.
That pulled the Rockets to within 69-66 and Ezeli’s replacement, Speights, then made a bad foul, flattening Beverley as Curry received the pass on the deep right wing and actually made the bucket although it was waved off.
Luckily for the Warriors, Ty Lawson missed a three from the left arc. Iguodala got the rebound and launched a line drive halfcourt desperation heave, but it was well after the buzzer.
Golden State’s double-digit cushion dwindled to just three points and both Green and Speights, who tallied 11 points to go along with Thompson’s 13, had three personals. Harden led Houston with 18 points and Thornton chipped in a yeoman’s 13.
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @easkinner83)
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
