The Warriors picked up their 10th straight win on Tuesday, taking down the Houston Rockets 123-110 in the Dubs’ final home game before NBA All-Star Weekend. The game had several heroes for the Dubs: there was Stephen Curry going bananas in the first quarter, Andrew Bogut dominating on defense, a fourth-quarter scoring barrage by Harrison Barnes, timely 3-point shooting from Andre Iguodala, big bench minutes from Marreese Speights and … you get the point.
It wasn’t the Dubs’ best effort of the season, but they came through when it counted most, outscoring Houston 30-17 in the fourth quarter after entering the period tied at 93-93. Barnes had a lot to do with the Dubs’ fourth quarter outburst, scoring 17 of his 19 points in the period on 7-of-8 shooting. He and Iguodala each hit 3-pointers on the first two Warriors possessions of the final period, and Barnes would later score nine straight Golden State points as the Dubs extended their lead to 13 midway through the period.
Whereas Barnes dominated the end of the game, it was all Curry at the beginning. The reigning MVP connected on five of his seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, setting the stage for a 35-point performance. Curry led the Warriors on a 16-4 run in the period, a spurt that included three treys in less than a minute.
The Warriors led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter, but the Rockets would answer back. They scored 39 points in the second period, the most the Dubs have yielded in any second period this season, and took their first lead of the game during a 20-4 run that bridged the second and third quarters.
The Rockets would lead by as many as five points, and it would have been more had it not been for the all-around excellence of Andrew Bogut. The Warriors’ big man tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds, but his deepest impact was made as a rim protector. Bogut tallied six blocks and three steals on the night, and he received a well-deserved ovation from the sellout crowd upon exiting the game in the fourth quarter.
After winning their last home game until next month, the Dubs will play their first of seven straight road games on Wednesday when they visit the Suns in their final game before All-Star Weekend.
