The Golden State Warriors defeated the visiting Houston Rockets, 115 - 106, to take a 20 lead in the Western Conference first - round playoffs Monday at Oracle Arena. Stephen Curry missed shoot around earlier Monday because of an ankle injury, and coach Steve Kerr elected to sit the reigning MVP. Kerr relied on Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and a strong performance from reigning NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to carry the Warriors to a commanding lead in the series. James Harden was far more effective in Game 2, as compared to his free throw - less performance in Game 1. The Rockets All-Star shooting guard found his way to the charity stripe 15 times on Monday and it helped keep Houston within striking distance until the fourth quarter. The Warriors were able to open up a scoring run midway through the the final period, which built to a 13 point lead. Once they broke free of their opponent they did not have to look back, although Houston was never really in control of the game. Thompson led all scorers with 34 points, to go with three rebounds and five assists on 8 - of - 20 shooting, which included a strong 15 - of - 16 from the free throw line. Draymond Green approached another triple - double, and fell just a few dimes short of the mark after he stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one blocked shot, while Iguodala added 18 needed points on 7 - of - 10 shooting in 32 minutes off the bench. Shaun Livingston started in place of the injured Curry, and the regular playing time he saw in the fourth quarters during the Warriors season truly paid off after the backup point guard looked calm and composed in 28 minutes of action. Livingston finished with 16 points, six assists, two boards and two steals. Harden tried to carry the Rockets to a win at Oracle, but fell short towards the end of the game, although he finished with a strong 28 points, 11 assists and two boards on 7 - of - 19 shooting. Dwight Howard fouled out of the game, but before exiting he racked up 12 points and 10 boards. Foul trouble became a significant issue for Houston down the stretch, as both Josh Smith and James Harden earned five fouls before the end of the game. The forced conservatism gave the Warriors a needed opening to pull away with the win. The series now shifts to Houston, where the two teams will face off in Game 3 on Thursday night.
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