Warriors shock another West rival despite having only half their team

The Golden State Warriors have already pulled off a number of surprise victories this season, but their latest shocking triumph may be their best yet after defeating the Houston Rockets 115-113 at Toyota Center on Thursday.

The Warriors have 14 contracted players on their main roster, but only seven were available in Houston as the visitors were without four starters and around $160 million in salaries.

It ultimately didn't matter. Golden State simply wanted it more, overcoming an obvious talent differential to build a 10-point lead by the end of the first-quarter, before executing efficiently enough in overtime to take down the ragged Rockets.

Warriors latest shock win might just be their best to date

Brandin Podziemski continued his strong recent form, notching 26 points and nine rebounds on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor and 4-of-8 from 3-point range. One of those triples came in overtime, with the Warriors winning it 14-12 after the teams were left tied at 101 at the end of regulation.

De'Anthony Melton had an up-and-down overtime period, turning the ball over and then fouling Kevin Durant on a 3-point attempt just as Golden State seemingly had control up five and with just over a minute to play.

However, Durant missed a third free-throw that would have tied the game, and Melton redeemed himself with a put-back layup with five seconds remaining that extended the lead to three. Melton finished with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals, providing the Warriors with a regular source of offense in the absence of their stars.

Draymond Green was available and played a smart veteran's game, closely monitoring former championship teammate Kevin Durant which included fouling him to prevent a potentially game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of overtime.

Durant had an efficient 23 points but was hardly a dominant force in the game, with Reed Sheppard proving the real problem for Golden State as the young guard finished with a game-high 30 points to go with six assists.

Warriors again find multiple scoring avenues without their stars

Golden State have had to find a way to produce offense without the likes of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis, often and understandably finding it difficult to execute at a high level.

They once again did it by committee against the Rockets, with all five starters scoring in double figures, while two-way contracted guard LJ Cryer hit four threes off the bench in his first meaningful NBA game.

The Warriors open up a little more breathing room on the L.A. Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers as the eighth-seed, but things won't get any easier when they face the reigning champion Thunder in Oklahoma City on Saturday.