Warriors at Rockets
The Houston Rockets outplayed the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 and barely escaped with the win, giving themselves a chance to tie the Western Conference semifinal series at two wins apiece when they host Game 4 on Monday. James Harden stepped up down the stretch to lead the Rockets to a 126-121 overtime victory in Game 3 on Saturday.
Harden finished with 41 points and led the charge as Houston scored 52 points in the paint and dominated the interior. "You've got to be aggressive," Harden told reporters. "If you're timid, or if you're not aggressive, good things don't happen, so you've just gotta be aggressive, take your shots, get to the basket. When you get to the basket three, four guys come, you've gotta make the right play, whether it's finish or kick-out. So, I think all of us were in those positions a lot tonight, and for the most part we did a pretty good job." Kevin Durant scored 46 points to keep the Warriors in the game, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson struggled from the floor. "We had our chances, and let's be honest: It would've been a steal if we had won that game," Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "They outplayed us. They out-boarded us by 20. They were the more physical, aggressive team right from the beginning."
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Curry went 7-of-23 from the floor and endured the most embarrassing moment of Game 3 when he missed a dunk in the final stretch of overtime that would have cut the deficit to three points. "For the most part, we pretty much got every shot we wanted," Curry, who blamed frustration for the missed dunk, told reporters. "The difference between winning and losing a playoff game is very thin no matter who you're playing." Curry suffered a dislocated finger in Game 2 and is shooting 35.3 percent from the floor in the series and is 8-of-32 from beyond the arc.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Houston's players and coaches were effusive after Game 3 in their praise of power forward PJ Tucker, who finished with seven points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks while doing the best job on the team of slowing Durant. "Tuck doesn't do any of the glamorous stuff," point guard Chris Paul told reporters. "All of the stuff he does doesn't show up on the stat sheet. We say it all the time, but it's always nice for other people to get a chance to see it and appreciate it. He's easily one of the most valuable guys on our team just because of the way he plays. He plays hard, and he forces you to do the same." Center Clint Capela contributed to the defensive presence with a two-handed block on Andre Iguodala's dunk attempt and added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors PF Draymond Green recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 3.
2. Houston SG Eric Gordon scored a postseason career-high 30 points in Game 3.
3. Durant is averaging 39.4 points over the last seven games.