Rockets emerge

GOLDEN State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (left) keeps the ball from Houston Rockets’ PJ Tucker in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, California. AP HARDEN-LESS HOUSTON PREVAILS

OAKLAND, California — Even without National Basketball Association scoring leader James Harden, the Houston Rockets took it to Golden State from the very start.

He might have played even with a sore neck. He had a little touch of the flu. It was a combination of everything

Eric Gordon scored 25 points with four three-pointers, Chris Paul converted two free throws with 1:08 left on the way to 23, and the Rockets outplayed the Warriors without the ill Harden for a 118-112 victory Saturday night.

Stephen Curry’s trey with 1:57 to play pulled the Warriors to 114-108 and his two free throws at 1:26 made it a four-point game before Houston came through at the line.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Curry added 25 with five three-pointers, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Warriors had their five-game home winning streak snapped in a matchup of West powers who met in the 2018 Western Conference finals won in seven games by Golden State.

“You can come in here and win on a Monday night in February or a Tuesday night in November or December,” Paul said.

“But in the playoffs is when you have to beat a team four out of seven times. It’s great tonight that we won this but in two days y’all will forget this. We all will.”

Early in the fourth, Golden State’s Draymond Green exited the game with a sprained left ankle after grabbing at his foot in clear pain from stepping on teammate DeMarcus Cousins’ foot.

There wasn’t an immediate update on Green, who Curry said “was in good spirits after the game so I’m assuming it’s not anything serious.”

“He’ll be back for the playoffs. That’s the only thing we worry about here, right?” Durant said.

Paul handed out 11 of his season-high 17 assists in the first half to reach 9,000 for his career, helping Houston avoid a third straight road loss.

Cousins notched his third straight double-double with 13 points and a season-best 14 rebounds, while Klay Thompson had 20 points and six assists.

Curry’s trey in the final 30 seconds of the first half and a jumper to beat the buzzer by Andre Iguodala got Golden State to 61-54 at halftime after the two-time defending champions trailed by 20.

While Harden also has a strained neck, coach Mike D’Antoni said the reigning MVP probably could have played through that.

Harden hurt the neck when he got hit during a practice leading up to Thursday’s road loss to the Lakers and woke up sore the next day.

“He might have played even with a sore neck. He had a little touch of the flu. It was a combination of everything,” D’Antoni said.

In other matches, Blazers crushed 76ers, 130-115; Hawks soared over Suns, 120-112; Nets escaped Hornets, 117-115; Cavaliers zapped Grizzlies, 112-107; Pacers breezed past Wizards, 119-112; Pelicans dominated Lakers, 128-115; Pistons froze Heat; 119-96; Bulls nipped Celtics, 126-116; Kings silenced Thunder, 119-116; Bucks tamed Wolves, 140-128; Jazz downed Mavericks, 125-109.

In the Rockets’ last visit to Oracle Arena, Harden hit a contested three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left in a 135-134 overtime win on 3 January in which he finished with a triple-double and his fifth straight 40-point game.

He was 13 for 32 with 10 three-pointers.

Kenneth Faried started in Harden’s place and delivered 20 points and 10 rebounds. Clint Capela grabbed 15 boards.