Warriors parlay stingy 3-point defense into win over Houston
In a game in which two clubs built around long-range shooting struggled from deep, that three-pointer with 1:46 left prompted red-clad fans to start filing toward the exits.
On the eve of their nationally televised game in San Antonio, the Warriors moved 2½ games ahead of the Spurs for the Western Conference’s top seed.
The Rockets, who entered Tuesday just eight three-pointers shy of breaking the NBA single-season record of 1,077 Golden State set last season, finished 5-for-31 (16.1 percent) from beyond the arc.
In addition to holding Houston to 2-for-13 from three-point range in that opening stanza, Golden State only missed seven of its 23 shots.
The Warriors got sloppy, piling up careless turnovers and reach-in fouls, as Houston closed the half on a 25-11 run to trim its deficit to eight points.
When he walked gingerly to the visiting locker room moments later, Golden State fans’ minds surely went to a dark place:
Houston didn’t hit a field goal over the final five-plus minutes of the third quarter, missing two layups in that span.
The Rockets went a combined 12-for-66 (18.2 percent) from three-point range as they dropped their two home games to Golden State.