NBA: Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets

The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are two of the strongest teams in the NBA and today they faced off at the Toyota Center. Both teams also have an MVP candidate, the Rockets have James Harden and the Warriors have Steph Curry. This game is for playoff positioning, but also a measuring stick for two teams attempting to chase an NBA title.

In case you missed the game, here’s our instant recap:

 

1st Quarter

The Warriors got off to a fast start and went up 7-2 on the Houston Rockets. After the loss to the Thunder, the Warriors looked like team on a mission. The presence of Andrew Bogut makes all the difference. When he’s protecting the paint, he alters shots and makes it difficult for the opposition to score inside.  The Warriors had a seven point lead, but the Rockets went on a little run and they took a 2 point lead after some cold shooting from the Dubs. The pace picked up quite a bit and both teams started trading baskets. After the strong start, the Warriors looked sloppy and kept making buckets, but they were not efficient. There was a big free throw disparity in the first, the Rockers shot 12 out of 14 and the Warriors only shot 3 out of 5. The Warriors shot much better from the field, but the score was tied at 31 at the end of one.

2nd Quarter

Marreese Speights got things going for the Warriors in the start of the second quarter by hitting two jumpers. Dwight Howard responded with his own basket and so far he’s been a force down low. The three point shooting was sub-par for both teams, which is surprising considering how much these teams love to shoot the long ball. The second unit continues to play well to start the second quarter, which has become a constant as of late and they took a four point lead. This was a heavyweight bout and they were trading blows. David Lee and Andre Iguodala helped carry the load in the second, but Howard and Josh Smith did the same for their team. The lead kept changing, but the Rockets went on a 7-0 run led by Trevor Ariza and now they were up by four. The Warriors came back with a 9-0 run to end the half and the Warriors led 64-59 at the end of the first half

3rd Quarter

The Warriors picked up where they left off and came out strong to start the second half. They went on a 5-0 run and the lead was now at double digits. The Rockets responded and cut the lead to four, but the Warriors were relentless. Thompson and Curry stole the show and they were able to re-establish the Warrior lead back to double digits. The Splash Brothers went on a tear and the lead kept growing. Curry had 15 in the quarter and Thompson had 11. The Rockets couldn’t score and credit the Warrior defense and James Harden was held scoreless with Thompson all over him. The crowd was out of it and the Warriors were in complete control. After three quarters, the Warriors lead 102-80.

4th Quarter

The Warriors started off a little slow to start the final period. James Harden was a non-factor in the third, so he wanted to impose his will in the fourth. Harden scored five points and the Warrior lead was at 18. An Iguodala triple gave the Warriors their 22 point lead back, but you knew the Rockets were going to make a run, which they did. The Rockets went on a 8-2 run and the crowd was into it. However, the Warriors were in a rhythm and they went on a 11-0 run. This game was pretty much over, barring an amazing meltdown from the Warriors. The Dubs scored 67 points in the second half and they beat the Rockets 131-106.