Golden State pulled out a 104-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday as the Warriors survived the loss of superstar Kevin Durant to grab a 3-2 lead in their second round playoff series.
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson nailed clutch three pointers late in the fourth quarter for the Warriors but the buzz after the game was not about the win but rather the health of Durant.
James Harden was the game’s leading scorer with 31 points for the Rockets.
Elsewhere, Milwaukee became the first team to reach the NBA’s final four as the top-seeded Bucks beat the visiting Boston Celtics with a 116-91 series-clinching victory.
The results: Eastern Conference: Milwaukee 116 (Giannis Antetokounmpo 20, Khris Middleton 19, Eric Bledsoe 18) bt Boston Celtics 91 (Kyrie Irving 15, Jayson Tatum 14, Jaylen Brown 12). Bucks win series 4-1.
Western Conference: Golden State Warriors 104 (Klay Thompson 27, Stephen Curry 25, Kevin Durant 22) bt Houston Rockets 99 (James Harden 31, Eric Gordon 19, P.J. Tucker 13). Warriors lead 3-2.