A 12-0 run in the fourth quarter helped lift the Dubs to a 107-98 victory over the Rockets on Friday night on Warriors Ground.
GAME LEADERS
A matchup of the two highest scoring teams didn’t feature all of the offense one would suspect, but the Dubs made the baskets when they counted most. Only it wasn’t the usual suspects. Only four points during the game-changing run were scored by starters, and those were by Matt Barnes. The rest were scored by a Warriors reserve unit that can be largely credited for the team extending their win streak to 10 games.
Reigning MVP Stephen Curry led the Dubs with 24 points and Klay Thompson added 20 points as each of the Splash Brothers knocked down four 3-pointers. But the real story was the team’s reserves. Andre Iguodala had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, and both Clark and Livingston each added seven points as the Dubs’ reserves outscored that of Houston 49-32.
The initial spark off the bench came from JaVale McGee. With the Dubs struggling to find any kind of flow, the springy big man entered the game in the second quarter and provided the energy that the Dubs absolutely needed. He played just 5:37 in the period but went into halftime as the team’s leading scorer with 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting.
Behind McGee’s hustle and an Andre Iguodala splash to end the half, the Dubs went into the break down by five and momentum on their side after they trailed by as many as 13 points earlier in the quarter.
The Warriors stepped up their defense in the second half, holding Houston to 13-for-41 (32 percent) shooting over the final two quarters. At the heart of that defensive effort was JaVale McGee, who accompanied his 13 points with a season-high five blocks.
The Dubs took three points off their deficit in the third quarter and really turned it on in the final period. After Houston’s Sam Dekker knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Rockets a four-point lead with 9:40 left in the game, the Dubs would hold the Rockets, the second highest scoring team in the league, scoreless for the next 6:59.
In that time, the Dubs went on a 12-0 run, during which Ian Clark knocked down a trey that gave the Dubs lead for good. The Warriors would outscore Houston 27-14 in the final quarter, and in the process limited MVP candidate James Harden to 17 points on 4-of-18 shooting.
Now 62-14 and winners of 10 straight, the Dubs will look to keep the momentum rolling on Sunday when they host the Wizards on 90’s Night, presented by Jamba Juice. Tickets are still available for the game, which has an early 5 p.m. tipoff and will feature the Dubs sporting their Crossover uniforms and a lot more throwback fun.