Andre Iguodala, last year’s Finals MVP, added 18 points with four 3-pointers and Green had 12 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
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Curry is listed as questionable for Game 2 against the Rockets, but Golden State and Oklahoma City are off to impressive starts. “If he can play, he’s definitely going to be out there”, center Festus Ezeli said.
“We never want to put winning ahead of a player’s career and his health”, Kerr said.
Harden led the Rockets with 28 points, 13 coming from the line on 15 free throws.
Harden hit a tough jumper and Terry added a hoop and two free throws to make it a three-point game.
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) reacts to a turnover against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter of Game 2 of the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2016.
Harden considered it a missed opportunity. As for the Rockets, they have to do just about everything differently than they did in the first contest if they want to pick up a road win.
However, running mate Thompson took up the offense and Curry’s replacement in the starting five Shaun Livingston scored 16 points and dished out six assists.
The Warriors are 2-1 without Curry this season with the lone loss courtesy of the Dallas Mavericks.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr called for better ball movement, hard cuts and intensity on defense in Curry’s absence.
Obviously everyone concerned with the Warriors is going to be watching Steph and monitoring his status for this game coming off of the ankle injury.
Kerr looked at more film from that December 31 game in Houston the past couple of days after already having watched it before Curry’s latest injury.
“Every time we reached, we fouled him, and they were all fouls”, Kerr said.
But it was Thompson’s three free throws after interim Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s technical with 7:16 left that helped seal this one. Livingston scored the next time down for a 99-86 lead.
“He’ll get treatment today, go get some rest, get off his feet, and we’ll do the same thing tomorrow at shootaround and see how he’s feeling”, Kerr told reporters.
Iguodala had to step forward as the shot-taker after Thompson committed two fouls that came 67 seconds apart, forcing him to the bench with 5:59 left in the quarter.
Dwight Howard posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Rockets, who bettered Golden State in 3-pointers, making 10 of 25, but fell well short from shorter range, finishing at 44.3 percent overall.
Dallas was held to franchise playoff lows for points and field goal percentage (29.8 percent), and matched its low with 33 points in the first half.
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It was Oklahoma City’s largest victory margin in a playoff game since moving from Seattle before the 2008-09 season, and the lowest point total the franchise has allowed in a postseason game, in Seattle or Oklahoma City.
