Bogut has a big hand in victory
Center keys defense, swats away 6 shots
In a game that included the MVP and the man who thinks he should have been the MVP living up to their billing, somehow Andrew Bogut was the most important player on the floor.
Stephen Curry and James Harden combined to score 72 points, but it was Bogut’s defensive presence that led the Warriors to a 123- 110 victory over the Rockets on Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.
“Bogut was phenome
nal — the best game he’s played in a long time,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who had an unusually short postgame news conference — partly because he was feeling ill. “At both ends of the floor, I thought he was dominant.”
Bogut had 11 rebounds, a season- high six blocked shots and three steals to lead a Warriors defense that limited Houston to 42.5 percent shooting in an otherwise fast- paced, highlevel game played on national TV.
In addition, the 7- footer, who had just five double- digit scoring games in the first 50, tossed in 13 points as the Warriors ( 47- 4) won their 42nd consecutive regular- season game at home. They’re two away from tying the all- time streak set by the 1995- 96 Chicago Bulls.
It was quite a parting gift for the Oakland fans, who won’t see the Warriors in person for the rest of the month. The Warriors said Kerr’s illness isn’t expected to keep him from flying with the team to Phoenix for Wednesday’s game, which starts a string of seven road games.
With Tuesday’s victory, the Warriors secured the league’s best- ever record through 51 games. The 1966- 67 Philadelphia 76ers and the 1995- 96 Chicago Bulls were each 46- 5.
Curry had 35 points, nine assists and five rebounds in a fascinating duel of starts and stops against Harden ( 37 points, five assists, five rebounds), who stands by his conviction that he should have been the 2014- 15 MVP.
Marreese Speights and Andre Iguodala combined for 27 points off the Warriors’ bench, Harrison Barnes added 19 points and seven rebounds and Klay Thompson added 13 points on a 5- of- 19 shooting night.
Bogut, who was a plus- 13 in 29 minutes, played bully ball with Dwight Howard, who had 16 points on 7- of- 12 shooting from the field and 2- of- 10 shooting from the foul line.
The Warriors’ starting backcourt outscored the Rockets’ starting guards 29- 4 in the first quarter. Thompson’s 10 points on 5- of- 8 shooting would have been spectacular if it hadn’t been for Curry’s 19 points on 7- of- 8 shooting.
Curry made his first six shots, including five threepointers. He didn’t miss until a 30- footer was errant with 3.2 seconds remaining in the quarter, keeping Curry one point away from securing his eighth quarter with at least 20 points this season.
Harden, who entered Tuesday two points per game behind Curry in the league’s scoring race, didn’t get on the board until he made two free throws to trim the Warriors’ lead to 52- 38 with 7: 01 on the clock in the second quarter.
After an 0- for- 5 start, the free throws got Harden going. He scored 15 points in a threeminute, second- quarter span, including a three- pointer that trimmed the Warriors’ lead to 58- 51. Draymond Green picked up his third personal foul and went to the bench with 3: 41 remaining in the first half, and the Rockets cut their deficit to 69- 66 by the break.
Houston scored the first eight points of the second half, including a Corey Brewer three- pointer that gave the Rockets their first lead at 71- 69. After the game had no lead changes or ties in the first two quarters, there were seven lead changes and four ties in the third quarter, including a 93- 93 score at the end of the period after Iguodala hit a three- pointer in the closing minute.
Remarkably, the Warriors outscored the Rockets by 12 points with Curry and Green on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter. Green checked back into the game with 7: 04 remaining and the Warriors leading 110- 98 — an advantage established with the help of Bogut’s three blocks in 2 ½ minutes and Barnes’ 10 points in four minutes.
“Our bench really carried us tonight,” Kerr said. “… The surge from the bench to start the fourth quarter gave us the separation that we needed.”