HOUSTON – So, the Rockets did not have James Harden to flail his arms up in the air seemingly every time he drove to the basket. So, the Warriors did not have Kevin Durant to use his sharp footwork and shooting stroke to score from any spot on the floor.
They had everything else, though, that ended in the Warriors escaping with a 124-114 victory over the Houston Rockets.
The Warriors had Stephen Curry (29 points) and Klay Thompson (28) hitting shots from all over the court, as always. The Rockets hard Gerald Green (29) doing the same thing in what marked the latest adventure for a swingman that struggled for the past decade staying long on any NBA team.
The Warriors (31-8) had Draymond Green offering a mix of everything (17 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) to become the franchise’s leader in triple doubles (21). The Warriors had Andre Iguodala slide into the starting spot, and post 10 points and seven assists after spending all season struggling with his shot. The Warriors had key bench pieces in David West (12 points) and Nick Young (11 points) making shots, while Kevon Looney made stop.
The Rockets (27-10) had Eric Gordon (30 points) thriving in the paint (12-of-24) after struggling from 3-point range (2-of-9). The Rockets had Chris Paul (25 points) cross up any opponent that stood in his way, including Patrick McCaw and West, who appeared to sprain his left ankle on one of the plays.
And as a result?
“It doesn’t affect anything. They’ll do what they do,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “They’re still the World champions without him.”
