|
 Harden nailed a step-back jumper with 2.7 seconds left, and the
Houston Rockets claimed a 97-96 victory over the Golden State
Warriors in Game Three of a Western Conference first-round playoff
series at Toyota Center on Thursday.
The defending champion Warriors, playing a second consecutive game
without All-Star guard Stephen Curry (right ankle sprain), still
lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game Four set for Sunday at
Toyota Center.
The Rockets blew a 17-point lead and trailed with 10.6 seconds left
after Trevor Ariza threw away an inbounds pass that facilitated a
fastbreak layup by Warriors reserve guard Ian Clark.
With Houston out of timeouts, Harden followed with a quick dribble,
darted into the lane and spun free before nailing a 10-foot jumper.
Warriors forward Draymond Green dribbled the ensuing inbounds pass
off his foot and out of bounds for a turnover with one second left.
 "A lot of people just get nervous and don't want to be in that
situation," said Harden, who scored a game-high 35 points.
"For me, I strive in moments like that, so you just have to have
confidence."
Harden added eight rebounds and nine assists. Donatas Motiejunas
produced 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Dwight Howard also
recorded a double-double (13 points and 13 rebounds) plus two
blocks.
Reserve forward Marreese Speights led Golden State with 22 points in
18 minutes. Klay Thompson contributed 17 points and eight rebounds,
and Shaun Livingston, who again filled in for Curry, added 16
points.
KERR UNHAPPY
What Speights started in the second quarter and carried through the
third, Livingston picked up in the fourth.
Following a pair of Harrison Barnes free throws that sliced the
Warriors' deficit to six points, Livingston added three jumpers, the
last with 8:59 left to cut it to 81-80.
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Despite following that spurt with a three-minute drought, the
Warriors hung tough. Trailing 88-80, they rallied with seven
consecutive points and later took their first lead since 2-0 when
Clark nailed a floater with 1:25 left.
"Well, I'm not really encouraged. This is how we were supposed to
play," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We should have actually
played better. We made too many mistakes."
Golden State surrendered 20 points off 14 turnovers and missed
19-of-25 three-point attempts.
The Rockets sought early energy, and already leading 21-15, closed
the first period with a 10-3 run.
Harden was the linchpin, tallying seven consecutive points before
Ariza turned a turnover into a transition dunk.
Harden closed the quarter with a free throw, a pull-up jumper plus a
basket following his offensive rebound for a 13-point advantage
entering the second.
Houston extended to a 53-36 lead when Jason Terry and Harden sank
three-pointers, but that was when Speights went on his scorching
streak.
The Warriors closed the half with a 9-0 run following a technical
foul on Howard. Speights drilled his third trey of the half with 2.4
seconds left to cap his 14-point period and cut the deficit to 55-48
at the break.
(Editing by John O'Brien)
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