Warriors win over Rockets in clash of top powers

LOS ANGELES – Agence France-Presse

Stephen Curry’s 29 points and a triple-double from Draymond Green propelled the Golden State Warriors to a 124-114 NBA victory over the Houston Rockets on Jan. 4.

In a clash of the two highest-scoring teams in the NBA, the reigning champion Warriors shrugged off the absence of forward Kevin Durant, with Andre Iguodala stepping into the starter’s role and contributing 10 points and seven assists.

Green’s 17 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists made him the franchise’s leader in triple-doubles with 21.

Klay Thompson added 28 points for the Warriors, who trailed by a point at halftime.

The lead changed hands seven times in the third quarter before the Warriors fashioned an 8-0 scoring run to close the period and they never trailed in the fourth, pushing their lead to as many as 14 points.

The Warriors notched their second win in as many nights, and their ninth straight road victory after a 125-122 triumph over the Mavericks in Dallas on Jan. 3. They improved their league-leading record to 31-8.

Houston played their second straight game without NBA leading scorer James Harden, who is out for at least a fortnight with a hamstring injury.

In his absence, Eric Gordon led the Rockets with 30 points. Gerald Green came off the bench to score 29, matching his career high with eight three-pointers.