Warriors Beat Rockets 113-106 as Stephen Curry Drops 32, James Harden Scores 24

The Golden State Warriors (60-14) started their Texas two-step with a 113-106 victory over the Houston Rockets (51-23) Tuesday night at the Toyota Center to stretch their league-best winning streak to eight games. 

Stephen Curry (32 points) and Klay Thompson (25 points) starred for the Western Conference's current No. 1 seed in the victory. The outing represented the 11th time this season the Splash Brothers each topped 25 points in a game, according to the Warriors' public relations department.  

The Warriors needed every single one of those points, too, because the Rockets featured a balanced and aggressive attack that was paced by James Harden. 

Specifically, Harden led a group of six Houston double-figure scorers with 24 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds to secure his 20th triple-double of the season. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the 2016-17 NBA season is the first in league history in which two players—Harden and Russell Westbrook—have each tallied at least 20 triple-doubles. 

Harden also made history in the swishing and dishing departments, as he reached previously uncharted statistical territory, per SportsCenter on Twitter: 

However, Harden shot 5-of-20 from the field due in part to a sore left (shooting) wrist that appeared to bother him throughout the game, as ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon noted: 

On the whole, the Rockets recorded paltry shooting splits of 38.8 percent from the field and 16.1 percent from three. However, they were able to hang around despite being thrown off their game by the Dubs' defense. 

Although the Rockets generally prefer to shred opponents from beyond the arc, the Warriors entered Tuesday night seemingly determined to run them off the three-point line and force them to make hay inside, as the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen highlighted: 

As a result, Houston was never able to establish their normal rhythm from distance. In fact, the Rockets finished the game with more attempts from the free-throw line (39) than from three (31). 

In other words, it was a far cry from Sunday—when the Rockets torched the Oklahoma City Thunder for 137 points on 63.3 percent shooting from the field and 51.3 percent shooting from three as their offense flowed uninhibited. 

But despite the shaky offensive showing, the Rockets gave the Warriors a battle deep into the fourth quarter thanks in part to the fight of Patrick Beverley. 

While he didn't fill up the scoring column (10 points) in a major way, Beverley forced several Warriors turnovers to keep his side within striking distance, as USA Today's Sam Amick observed: 

Ultimately, the Rockets didn't have enough offensive juice to stick with the Warriors in the game's final few minutes, thus bringing an end to their four-game winning streak.

Houston will have an opportunity to avenge Tuesday's loss when it travels to Oracle Arena on Friday evening for a rematch. That said, Friday's showdown will come on the second night of a back-to-back for the Rockets after they clash with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday evening. 

Speaking of back-to-backs, the Warriors will be back in action Wednesday night at AT&T Center against the San Antonio Spurs to wrap up a quick two-game road trip. 

Postgame Reaction

After the win, the Bay Area News Group's Anthony Slater captured video of Curry and head coach Steve Kerr breaking down the Warriors' sterling defensive stylings: 

Kerr also touched on a personal milestone after he became the fastest coach in pro sports history to record 200 wins. 

"I know how lucky I am," he said, per MacMahon. "It's all about the guys you coach."

As for the Rockets, head coach Mike D'Antoni sounded encouraged by the way his team fought back after falling behind by 17 points at the end of the first quarter, as ESPN 97.5's Barry Laminack documented on Twitter: 

However, D'Antoni did note "we had a lot of looks wide open that we didn't make," according to KPRC 2's Lainie Fritz.  

"If you don't score [with] them, you're not going to beat them because nobody is going to stop them," D'Antoni added, according to ClutchFans on Twitter.