Rockets strike back, rout sluggish Warriors in Game 2

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BOX SCORE

HOUSTON -- Sloppy and defensively disengaged from the start, the Warriors never gathered momentum Wednesday night in a 127-105 loss to the energized Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

The best-of-seven series is now tied at 1-1.

Kevin Durant poured in a game-high 38 points, but got little scoring help. Stephen Curry, with 16 points, was the only other Warrior to reach double figures.

The Warriors committed 15 turnovers, off which Houston scored 15 points. Houston scored 13 points on 11 first-half turnovers.

An even bigger issue for the Warriors was 3-point defense. The Rockets were 16-of-42 from deep, and 10-of-23 while seizing control in the first half.

STANDOUT PERFORMER:
On a night when the Warriors struggled mightily on offense, Durant was the lone exception. He was the reason why the Warriors weren’t completely blown out.

Durant’s line: 38 points (13-of-22 shooting from the field, 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, 9-of-9 from the line) and three rebounds. He played 35 minutes and finished an eye-popping minus-28.

TURNING POINT:
After the Warriors closed within five, 40-35, on a Klay Thompson 3-pointer with 6:56 left in the second quarter, the Rockets came back with a 20-7 run, going up 60-42 on a layup by Eric Gordon with 2:28 left in the half.

Houston took a 64-50 lead into the second half. The Warriors trailed by double digits over the entire second half.

INJURY UPDATE:
Warriors: G Pat McCaw (lumbar spine contusion) was listed as out.

Rockets: No injuries reported.

WHAT’S NEXT:
Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday at Oracle Arena. Coverage begins on NBC Sports Bay Area Plus with Warriors Outsiders at 3:30pm PT and continues at 4pm PT with Warriors Playoff Central. After the final buzzer, tune to NBC Sports Bay Area for complete reaction and analysis on Warriors Playoff Central.

Game Result/Schedule
Game 1 Warriors 119, Rockets 106
Game 2 Rockets 127, Warriors 105
Game 3 Oakland -- Sunday, May 20th at 5pm
Game 4 Oakland -- Tuesday, May 22nd at 6pm
Game 5 Houston -- Thursday, May 24th at 6pm
Game 6 Oakland -- Saturday, May 26th at 6pm
Game 7 Houston -- Monday, May 28th at 6pm


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