Warriors carry seven-game win streak into Houston
HOUSTON -- After Kevin Durant departed 93 seconds into a 112-108 loss to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 28, the Golden State Warriors displayed a vulnerability that few would have imagined even without their perennial All-Star.
Including that setback, the Warriors dropped five of seven games, allowed the San Antonio Spurs to threaten their perch atop the Western Conference, and shifted conversations throughout the league relative to how the remainder of the season would unfold. In hindsight, those expressions of concern were premature.
The Warriors (59-14) claimed their seventh consecutive victory on Sunday night with a 106-94 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies, tightening their grip on the top seed in the West and setting the table for a rigorous four-game stretch of games, a run that starts Tuesday against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
Durant has intensified his workouts and is closing in on a return from his knee injury. The Warriors hold a two-game lead over the Spurs, who play Golden State on Wednesday night in San Antonio. And, after initially scuffling to find their footing without Durant, the Warriors have reclaimed their dominating form and are rolling as a key reinforcement preps to arrive as the playoffs set to commence.
"It's nice to have a win streak again," Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. "I think we really responded to playing without KD well. Obviously, it's a challenge, but we're going to be that much better when he comes back."
During their winning streak the Warriors own a 20.8 net rating, by far the best in the NBA over that span. Without Durant they've rediscovered their defensive might (94.1 defensive rating) while scoring at a clip (114.9 offensive rating) bested only by the Denver Nuggets (115.0) and Rockets (116.5), whose 116.1 offensive rating paces the league since the All-Star break.
Houston (51-22) increased its NBA-record total for games with at least 20 3-pointers made to 10 in beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 137-125 on Sunday. The Rockets improved to 27-1 when scoring 120-plus points and 18-2 when shooting 50 percent or better. The Rockets' 63.3 shooting percentage against the Thunder was the second-best mark in the league this season. The Rockets are 20-1 when shooting 40 percent from deep. Houston shot 51.3 percent on 3s Sunday.
"When we are making shots we are probably one of the hardest teams to guard," Rockets guard Lou Williams said. "When we are on and guys are passing the ball, swinging it around and making shots, I think we are a very good team."
The Rockets did not make shots in their previous meeting with the Warriors, hitting just 7 of 35 3-pointers while falling 125-108 at home on Jan. 20. Houston won the first meeting in double overtime at Oracle Arena on Dec. 1, kicking off a 10-game winning streak that lifted the Rockets into the upper echelon of the NBA.
Despite the loss of Durant, the Warriors remain atop of the league. After defeating the Thunder, the Rockets were quick in recognizing the chore ahead.
"Any win we get we appreciate, but you know we have another tough task ahead of us in Golden State," Rockets guard Patrick Beverley said. "And that's where our mindset is right now."
