Going into tonight's game, the Rockets were undefeated when James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela play together. That is still a fact as they managed to beat Golden State in their final matchup of the regular season.
James Harden started the game hot, hitting three 3s in a row. I guess that was his way of telling everyone that he's back. Houston shot 7-for-11 from downtown to grab a 40-28 lead to close out the first quarter.
The Rockets lead shrunk to 7 after a 11-1 run by the Warriors at the end of the 2nd. Golden State would then get within one point going into the 4th.
With just over 10 minutes left, the Warriors got their first lead since early in the 1st quarter. Harden was scheduled to be limited to just 30 minutes tonight, and even checked out with 6:45 left. However two minutes later, he came back onto the court to finish the game.
Houston was able to hold Golden State to just 17 points in the 4th, with Harden hitting the dagger from beyond the arc to put his team up by 6 with 1:10 left. James ended the game with 22 points, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots while shooting 50% from the field.
Chris Paul had his ninth Double-Double of the season, scoring 33 points, with 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. CP3 shot 50% from the field as well, and played more time than any of his teammates.
Eric Gordon was the only Rocket who struggled tonight, shooting 2-for-14, with just 6 points.
"We're just a confident group, especially with everybody healthy. When we get Trevor (Ariza) and Gerald (Green), then we got a strong rotation to where we're very versatile. Obviously, they're a championship caliber team for the past four years or what not, that's what we're trying to build our way up to," Harden said after the game.
Even with this win, the Rockets are still 3 and a half games behind the Warriors. Houston will try to extend their winning streak Monday night at home against Miami.