Warriors survive scare, beat one-win Nets in OT

It wasn’t particularly pretty and cleared by only the thinnest of margins, but it still counts – and sends a statement.

So, how about if he’s on a record pace for 3s by season’s end?

“Andre plays his best when you need him to”, Walton said. But that’s where the Warriors made a statement with this win.

“He was great. He was just a hard-fought game that he gave us”. The loss in itself is bad enough, as it puts Houston at 4-6 for the season in the competitive Western Conference, but it also continued a worrying trend: The Rockets can’t win when Harden Harden struggles.

OAKLAND, Calif._All of the Golden State Warriors’ impressive streaks appeared primed to be taken down Saturday night by former Warrior Jarrett Jack and an unlikely cast of Brooklyn Nets. All that said, this was cutting it a little too close.

Curry finally found his groove in the fourth quarter with the Warriors trailing 83-76.

Curry, the reigning MVP, hit 15 of 25 shots, including 8 of 13 3-pointers. Usually, Thompson is the Warriors’ designated cooler for any opposing guard who establishes an offensive rhythm.

On a game-to-game basis, Curry does three or four things that would be mind-boggling if we weren’t somehow getting used to seeing them every night. Still, the Warriors adapted. Walton closed the game with Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala on the floor, able to take turns on Jack or at least provide help. The Warriors obviously have a much more hard road to the finals than the Cavaliers, but there’s no reason to believe they can’t get back there again.

Before the opening tip off, a moment of silence was observed along with the playing of the French national anthem in memory of those who lost their lives in the terror attacks in France on Friday. It’s the most points scored in the opening period against the Warriors this season. The scoring outburst only served as Green’s wake-up call. When the inevitable push came in the fourth quarter, they answered. “Whenever you have a night like that, you’re happy, but as long as we win, that’s what counts”. They’ve easily cornered the market on creating new, excruciatingly frustrating ways to lose. Center Andrew Bogut might have reclaimed his starting spot after a rugged defensive performance (18 rebounds, three blocks) against Brook Lopez.

Nevertheless, the Nets still had a shot to win. Ricky Rubio missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring. Iguodala floated free after setting a screen, and Green fired him the ball. Green’s second regular-season triple-double was well-earned, but the stats are only a rough outline of the crucial impact he has on this team.

Nets forward Thaddeus Young recorded 14 first quarter points, the most the Warriors have allowed to any one player in any one quarter this season. But unlike last time the two teams played, it was the Warriors who came up with the big shots that ultimately won them the game. Tristan Thompson hasn’t started a single game, but he’s still contributing huge off the bench with rebounds and blocked shots. The Warriors so far have shown a good sense of situational awareness – knowing when to flip the switch on their best play – but they’re increasingly leaving no margin for error.