This @KlayThompson #SPLASH ? caps a 10-2 Warriors run to end the half. (TNT) #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/cf08JeWZxJ
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 5, 2018
It was a preview of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals, except it wasn’t really a preview at all.
Though the Warriors and Rockets are the leading candidates to square off for a trip to the NBA Finals this spring, Golden State was missing Kevin Durant due to a calf strain while Houston was without James Harden thanks to a hamstring injury.
That didn’t take away from the intrigue and the drama on Wednesday though, as Houston and Golden State battled through three even quarters before a 16-1 Warriors run helped Steve Kerr’s squad pull away for a 124-114 win.
While both teams were down a former Oklahoma City star and MVP-caliber talent, the Rockets wound up hosting a track meet as both sides raced up and down the floor in a thrilling rematch of their season-opening matchup that was decided by a single point at Oracle Arena. The pace and tempo from Thursday evening’s contest was a glimpse into the future of basketball, even if both teams were missing key cogs and playing on the back end of back-to-backs.
Without Durant, Golden State relied on the sharpshooting of point guard Steph Curry, who continued to look fresh in his third game back after missing more than three weeks with an ankle injury. After dropping 38 points on Saturday night and bouncing back with 32 points and a game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds against Dallas on Wednesday, Curry aided the Warriors’ cause with 28 points on 10-of-20 from the field.
On Thursday, Curry ended up sharing the spotlight with his “Splash Brother,” Klay Thompson, who poured in 29 points and nailed six-three pointers to withstand a strong shooting night from Houston.
Curry’s three-pointer off a dish from Draymond Green at the end of the third quarter allowed the Warriors to take a 93-80 lead, which set the tone for a huge Golden State run at the start of the fourth. After Houston’s bench came alive early, thanks in large part to another stellar showing from recently signed free agent Gerald Green, the Warriors’ second unit dominated the early portion of the final quarter, extending the Warriors’ lead to 101-91 after the Rockets had led 90-85 with a minute left to play in the third.
The strong run from the Warriors’ second unit came under adverse circumstances considering Andre Iguodala was forced into the starting lineup in Durant’s absence while Omri Casspi was ruled out with a back strain. Iguodala did provide a jolt to the starting lineup, as he was clearly more aggressive on the offensive side of the floor, especially in the first half.
Without Iguodala to rely on, the Warriors found bench scoring from guard Nick Young, who sank three three-pointers, and forward David West, who was imposing in the paint and dropped in 12 points on 6-of-7 from the field. However, West wasn’t able to finish the game on a positive note, as he exited with an ankle injury after Rockets’ guard Chris Paul broke him down on a mid-fourth quarter possession.
Later in the fourth, Paul broke himself down, hooking onto Warriors’ center Kevon Looney on a possession where Looney likely would have let Paul rush right past him. The offensive foul gave Golden State an extra possession, and 30 seconds later, a Warriors lead that could have been trimmed to five points was back up to double digits.