OAKLAND — The Warriors have turned one of their hardest stretches of the schedule into a 10-game winning streak.
In a playoff type of atmosphere Friday at Oracle Arena, Golden State blasted past the Houston Rockets late in the fourth quarter, walking away with a 107-98 victory.
Ever so slightly, the Warriors kept chipping away at a 13-point deficit they faced in the second quarter. Andre Iguodala hit a buzzer beating 3 at halftime, Steph Curry scored 14 third quarter points (finished with 22) and JaVale McGee played perhaps his best game of the season.
The tides didn’t totally flip the Warriors’ way until very late in the game. An Ian Clark 3-pointer with 5:55 left in the fourth quarter gave the Warriors their first lead (95-92) since the first quarter. The 3 ignited a 13-4 run, led by Draymond Green stops on defense plus soft finishes from Matt Barnes and Shaun Livingston. Curry hit a leaning mid-range floater as the dagger shot with 46 seconds left.
The most important player on the court for the Warriors Friday night? You could argue it was McGee.
The backup center led all first half scorers with 13 points, blocked 4 shots, ignited two separate rallies in the second and third quarter and may have proven to Steve Kerr he’s capable of a bigger role come the postseason. In that third quarter the Warriors registered 7 blocks and the Rockets shot zero free throws
Andre Iguodala also continued his tear (12 points, 5 assists, 5-for-11 shooting) marking the fourth straight game he’s been in double figures. He’s explosive, he’s fresh and he’s been the catalyst offensively during this 10 game winning streak.
James Harden, on the other hand, continued his dreadful ways against the Warriors. Arguably the leading MVP candidate, Harden scored just 15 points and finished 4-of-17 from the field. Iguodala and Klay Thompson continue to smother him. The Rockets don’t even feel like a threat to Golden State unless Harden can turn it around against them. Thompson scored 20 points on 8-for-20.
This was supposed to be the most challenging part of the Warriors’ schedule. They are now 4-0 against the Rockets twice, the Grizzlies and the Spurs. The Wizards come to town Sunday, and then it’s mostly cake matchups the rest of the way during the regular season.
