Warriors Rally To Beat Rockets In Western Conference Finals

Down big at home, the Golden State Warriors went small. It turned out to make a huge difference. Stephen Curry hit two free throws in the final seconds to finish with 34 points, and the Warriors rallied from a 16-point deficit in the second quarter to beat the Houston Rockets 110-106 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

With the Rockets seemingly ready to rout the home team, the Warriors used a smaller lineup featuring 6-foot-7 Draymond Green at center and closed the first half on a 21-4 run. Shaun Livingston scored 14 of his 18 points in the quarter, helping Golden State go ahead 58-55 at halftime.

The Warriors held off James Harden and Houston in the fourth quarter again behind their undersized lineup, which worked especially well after Rockets center Dwight Howard departed with a left knee injury.

Harden, the runner-up to Curry in the MVP voting, nearly brought the Rockets back without Howard in the fourth. Harden finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals, but his late push fell short.

Tuesday, May 18 Scoreboard

Golden State 110, Houston 106
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS - GAME 1

Wednesday, May 20 Schedule (Time Central)

Cleveland at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS - GAME 1