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Golden State Warriors Beat Houston Rockets Without Stephen Curry

OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 25: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three-point basket against the Dallas Mavericks at ORACLE Arena on March 25, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The first round of the NBA playoffs in the Western Conference, save for the Thunder vs. Mavericks in game two, has an uncompetetive feel to it. That theme continued on April 18 when the Golden State Warriors took game two against the Houston Rockets, sans their reigning MVP, Stephen Curry. The extent of his injuries is unclear at this point, but the Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, has emphasized that he will return based on when he is healthy, not their opponent.

Golden State did just fine without him, though. The zinger of the night came on Twitter, of course.

The usual suspects Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala stepped up big in his absence. Thompson dropped 34 points and handed out five assists. Green was just shy of a triple double with 12 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Iguodala chipped in 18 points off the bench. James Harden led Houston with 28 points, on 7-of-19 shooting, and 11 assists.

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The Rockets saved a little face in their second contest, only losing by nine points, as opposed to 26 in the first game. They are probably not content with moral victories at this juncture, however. Their inability to critical get stops has been their downfall, not only in this series, but also during the regular season.

While Harden dominated the ball, Dwight Howard has been inconsistent, to put it kindly. This tweet pretty muched summed up his night.

Houston plays at an up and down tempo that relies heavily on three pointers, floor spacing and Harden. Howard has struggled to get into the picture consistently, which is why his scoring numbers are down. He attempted roughly two field goals less per game than last season this year and also scored two points less per game, per ESPN.

Howard used to be a dominant force in the post on both ends, but is now seldom used on offense, except in the pick and roll, which is a troubling sign for the Rockets. If they can’t figure out how to stop the bleeding against the record-breaking Warriors soon, Houston’s season could be over as early as April 24.