Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets Box Score on Jan 20, 2018

Harden finished with 22 points plus eight assists, and he drilled a 3 over Stephen Curry with 70 seconds remaining to push the lead to six points and fend off the Warriors once and for all. Golden State had erased a 17-point deficit and led by as many as four points earlier in the fourth quarter before Paul, P.J. Tucker (12 points), and Harden responded with late treys.

Clint Capela added 18 points and Luc Mbah a Moute 14 for Houston, which claimed the season series over the Warriors. Kevin Durant paced Golden State with 26 points and seven rebounds while Draymond Green added 21 points, seven boards and six assists. Curry and his backcourt partner Klay Thompson combined to shoot 9 for 31 and totaled 27 points.

Golden State suffered its first road defeat since Nov. 22 at Oklahoma City.

Harden was red hot early, drilling three quick 3s to spot Houston an early lead. The rest of the Rockets followed suit, shooting a blistering 68.2 percent (15 of 22) in the first quarter to post a 40-point period on the Warriors' stout defense. Harden scored 11 points in the period but so too did Durant, and once the Warriors began to lock in, the momentum slowly started to turn.

Houston pushed its lead to 64-47 on a Paul transition 3 before the Warriors pushed back. They closed the first half with an 11-1 rally, grinding the Rockets offense to a halt while getting 3s from Curry and Thompson. That tandem combined for just 14 points on 17 shots at the break, but the Warriors got bench scoring from David West and Young to maintain contact.

When the Warriors capped the third quarter with a 9-2 run, their deficit was just 92-91 entering the fourth. The stage was set for another Golden State rally, but somehow, Houston held firm.

--Field Level Media