SAN FRANCISCO _ Draymond Green hit a 3-pointer from his mark in the corner and ran to the sideline, jumping into Steph Curry in celebration while the Chase Center crowd erupted, as the Warriors took a six-point lead over the Rockets late in what would become their biggest win of the season.
The Warriors (8-24) defeated the Rockets, 116-104, on Wednesday at Chase Center on the NBA's national stage on Christmas Day. Though Green hit a timely 3-pointer and Curry and Klay Thompson celebrated from the bench, it was Golden State's newcomers and defense on Rockets guard James Harden that helped them earn their third consecutive win.
"It's great. It's been a very trying season for us," Green said. "It's a lot of these guys' first time playing on Christmas. That's a huge stage, and to come out and execute like we did and to actually get a win like we did against a very good team, it definitely feels good."
Warriors guards Damion Lee (22) and D'Angelo Russell (20) combined to score 42 points while Houston's backcourt of Harden (24) and Russell Westbrook (30) were held to an inefficient 54 points on 40% shooting.
The Warriors' defensive strategy of doubling Harden and forcing him to his right made the NBA's scoring leader (38.6 points per game this season) uncomfortable. With Harden limited, the Rockets' offense struggled and was held to 37% shooting for the game.
It was the most impressive defensive performance of the season for the Warriors, who executed a complex game plan to send their rivals back to Houston with a loss.
"We're probably not going to play a bigger game than this all year, on Christmas, on national TV and against the Rockets," head coach Steve Kerr said. "This game meant a lot to us and you can see it in the way our players approached it."
Lee had 22 points on 5-of-9 shooting (2 for 2 from 3-point range, 10 for 10 from the free throw line) and 15 rebounds. Glenn Robinson III scored 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting while spending most of the game guarding Harden. Green finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
Green is learning to appreciate these wins more during a losing season, and he seemed to especially relish Wednesday's over the Rockets in front of Chase Center's Christmas Day crowd. Over the years, the Warriors and Rockets have developed a rivalry, with Golden State eliminating Houston in four of the last five postseasons.
The Rockets (21-10) walked into Chase Center undoubtedly expecting a win over a makeshift Warriors team with one of the league's worst records.
Instead, the Warriors frustrated Harden, found their rhythm offensively and got major contributions from their newcomers as the incumbent Warriors cheered along with a merry home crowd.
