The Golden State Warriors continue their dominance of the Houston Rockets with another win. Steph Curry outplayed James Harden once again.
Stephen Curry slapped his right arm several times after he nailed the dagger three a few days ago. He celebrated a huge win in Houston. He outplayed James Harden as Golden State continued their dominance over the Rockets.
Once again, Curry sealed the deal late in the game. First, he hit a deep three right in Trevor Ariza’s face. Then on the next possession, Golden State whipped the ball around, doing just enough to keep it away from Houston’s active hands. After Shaun Livingston lost the ball down low, Curry came out of nowhere and picked the ball up, faked the defender, and banked in a floater as the shot clock buzzer expired.
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This could be a second round matchup and this one definitely felt like a playoff game. The Rockets and the Warriors were locked in a tight one from the beginning. It was clear that the two teams made their adjustments after seeing each other earlier in the week.
When Houston started to pull away in the second quarter, Andre Iguodala brought balance. He put the ball in the basket and played good defense to keep the Rockets from taking off. Then, with time winding down, Iguodala hit the jumper to cap off a 10-2 run at the end of the half.
The Warriors seemed comfortable playing from behind. The relied on their defense and trusted that their offense would get the space and shots would fall. Turns out, they were right.
Curry, once again, outplayed the Rockets’ star. The two-time MVP had 24 points on 44 percent shooting, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Harden, by comparison, shot just 22 percent for 17 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 turnovers.
Despite his best efforts, Harden just couldn’t get it done. Curry, on the other hand, closed the game out with some exciting play. It’s just another instance of the Warriors’ superstar outplaying an MVP candidate.
Golden State shut down one of the league’s most potent offenses. They had 14 blocks, five of them coming from JaVale McGee. Their hands were active especially in the fourth quarter, stripping and disrupting Houston’s rhythm.
The Warriors’ magic numbers to clinch the top seed is four. They’re getting close to the playoffs and Kevin Durant’s return is right around the corner.