The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are both known as high-scoring, three-happy squads that would rather run from end to end than get bogged down in a game played in the halfcourt. It was somewhat notable, then, that their matchup Tuesday at the Toyota Center took on the character of a jagged, stop-and-start affair in which sustained defensive stretches won out.

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That’s not to say that the Warriors’ 113-106 win was a rock fight. Golden State shot 51.1 percent from the field with 33 assists, with the star trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green accounting for 76 points on 30-of-57 shooting (52.6 percent) by themselves. The Warriors’ fine offensive showing included a 21-7 run over most of the final seven minutes of the first quarter that made it seem as if the Rockets would be in for a long night. Curry and Thompson combined for 19 points in the quarter by themselves, as well.

Yet that run would be one of the few times in the contest that the Warriors offense dominated in free-flowing play. For most of the night, the Rockets controlled the pace by getting to the line for 39 free throws, of which they made 35 (or 89.7 percent). Not surprisingly James Harden had 13 of those freebies by himself and did not miss one. He finished with 24 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds for his 20th triple-double of the season.

The Warriors exploited that disjointed style and their early run, never trailing and fending off the Rockets late. Houston did well to get back in the game in the second quarter and trailed by just eight at the half and as few as three points in the third. But the Warriors always had an answer, either coming up with a key stop or manufacturing a bucket to keep the hosts at bay. Much of the credit should go to Curry, whose excellent stats (32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals) don’t fully communicate the effect he had on the final score.

The good news for the Rockets is that this loss does not hurt their playoff standing. At 51-23, they are all but eliminated from catching the San Antonio Spurs for the West’s No. 2 seed and would have to collapse to fall to No. 4. They just have to enter the playoffs with optimism and good health, and this result shouldn’t do much to harm either.

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On the other hand, the win could be a big one as they travel to San Antonio to complete one of the toughest road back-to-backs any team will play this season. The Warriors now lead the Spurs by 2 1/2 games for homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs and will still have breathing room even if they lose Wednesday night at the AT&T Center. That gap could prove meaningful as Kerr attempts to find rest for a core that has taken on added responsibility with Kevin Durant on the shelf.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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