Kevin Durant led a balanced attack with 29 points Tuesday night as the Golden State Warriors went up 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Houston Rockets with a 115-109 win in Oakland, Calif.
Both Warriors star Stephen Curry and Rockets star James Harden sustained injuries in the contest.
After a three-day break, the series shifts to Houston on Saturday and Monday.
For the second game in a row, all five Warriors starters scored in double figures, including Curry, who dislocated the middle finger on his left hand early in the game and yet still managed 20 points.
Curry didn’t seem bothered by the injury after returning quickly to the game, but the same couldn’t be said of Harden, who sustained a scratched left eye shortly after Curry’s mishap.
Harden finished with a game-high-tying 29 points but often was seen squinting and rubbing his eye after returning to action.
The Warriors took advantage of 18 offensive rebounds and 24 points off 18 Rockets turnovers to overcome Houston’s 51-33 dominance in points scored off 3-pointers.
Durant, who had 35 points in Golden State’s home win in Game 1 on Sunday, shot 9-for-22 from the field in Game 2.
Klay Thompson added 21 points and Andre Iguodala 16 for Golden State. Warriors forward Draymond Green had another outstanding all-around game with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Chris Paul complemented Harden with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Rockets, who went 3-0 at home in their first-round triumph over the Utah Jazz.
Eric Gordon had 15 points and Austin Rivers 14 for Houston, while Clint Capela (14 points, 10 rebounds) and PJ Tucker (13 points, 10 rebounds) collected double-doubles.
The Rockets outshot the Warriors 46.8 percent to 46.2 percent but attempted fewer field-goal attempts.
Curry was the first to head to the locker room just 3:29 into the game, having jammed his finger into the basketball.
X-rays were negative, and Curry, with two fingers on his left hand taped together, was able to return to the game a little more than three minutes later.
Harden was inadvertently swiped in the left eye by Green just before the midpoint of the first quarter.
Harden, who had yet to score in the game, was gone for nearly a full quarter, returning to the game with 7:09 left in the half and Houston trailing 36-31.
The Rockets fell back by as many as 11 before Harden poured in 10 points in the final 4:27 of the half, helping Houston stay within arm’s length at 58-49 at the break.
—Field Level Media
