Rockets vs. Warriors: Game 2 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

The record-setting Golden State Warriors didn't have the reigning NBA MVP during Monday's postseason game against the Houston Rockets, but they still scored 115 points. Ho-hum.

Stephen Curry sat out because of an injury to his right ankle, per GSW Stats, but his teammates gradually pulled away from an overmatched Rockets squad during a 115-106 win to seize a 2-0 lead in the series. The performance wasn't as dominant as it was in Game 1, when Golden State won 104-78, but because of Houston's inability to get critical defensive stops, it never seemed as if the Rockets would win.

The Warriors, who set an NBA record with 73 wins during the regular season, are better than the Rockets, though Houston will have the chance to defend its home court in the next two games.

ESPN Stats & Info noted it was business as usual for Golden State in the head-to-head matchup:

With Curry on the bench, Klay Thompson inherited the role of alpha dog, scoring 34 points and dishing out five assists. The Warriors also received a double-double from Draymond Green (12 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists) and 18 points off the bench from Andre Iguodala.

James Harden led the way for the Rockets with 28 points and 11 assists, though he shot only 7-of-19 from the field, and 13 of his points came from the free-throw line.

The defending champions controlled the first quarter and took a 31-22 lead at the 1:04 mark as Iguodala did his best Curry impression and connected on his first three three-point attempts, via the Warriors:

Houston, however, closed the gap to three by the end of the frame after it had trailed by as many as 10 points in the early going.

The Rockets stayed close and were down only 50-47 after Harden hit three free throws with 6:16 left until halftime. Despite the tight game, SB Nation's The Dream Shake said Houston was hanging around because of just one reason:

With less than four minutes remaining in the second quarter, Thompson drilled a three-pointer to put the Warriors ahead 58-49, and Eric Freeman of Yahoo Sports did not appear to be taking the No. 8 seed seriously:

Despite the lack of confidence from outside observers, Houston was within eight points at halftime. One reason Golden State had yet to pull away was Harden, who had 16 points even though he made only two field goals in the first 24 minutes. The Rockets guard connected on 12 of 13 free throws in the first half, which prompted this reaction from Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report:

The Warriors continued to maintain control of the contest and held a 71-63 lead with less than eight minutes left in the third quarter.

And though Curry was watching from the bench, even DJ Jazzy Jeff wondered where Harden's defense was:

The Rockets cut the deficit to 75-71 on Dwight Howard's hook shot at the 4:36 mark of the third, and NBA writer Josh Eberley suggested Warriors fans may not have been comfortable with the way the game was unfolding:

But those fans breathed a sigh of relief when Marreese Speights hit a three-pointer from the corner at the end of the third quarter to push the lead to 86-79, via NBA on TNT:

Zach Harper of CBSSports.com had some fun with Speights' critical shot:

The Rockets had more points through three quarters of Monday's contest than they did in the entirety of Game 1. But they couldn't get enough stops on the defensive end to get over the hump and seize a lead in the third.

Amin Elhassan of ESPN pointed out that Houston's inability to execute on defense was a testament to how impressive Golden State is on that side of the floor:

The Rockets kept it close thanks in part to the shooting struggles of Harrison Barnes. He was 1-of-9 from the field with nine minutes remaining, which had The Dream Shake cheering for more:

Houston trailed only 92-86 with less than eight minutes left in the game, but it could have been closer if it had taken advantage of its free throws. ESPN Stats & Info noted the Rockets were a mediocre 6-of-11 from the charity stripe after they started 20-of-21.

Buoyed by five free throws from Thompson and a layup by Shaun Livingston, the Warriors scored seven straight points to open a 13-point advantage with 6:49 to play.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle recognized a similar pattern for the road team:

Howard fouled out of the game with 4:13 remaining and the Warriors ahead 103-90, but the sequence that led to his fifth foul caught the attention of Feigen and ESPN's Ryen Russillo:

Howard fouling out was the least of the Rockets' concerns. ESPN Stats & Info noted Golden State outscored Houston by 20 points when the center was on the floor. ESPN's Michael Wilbon, however, wondered why Howard took only seven shots from the field, as he made five of them.

That strategy had Matt Moore of CBSSports.com reflecting on the Rockets' season:

Houston picked up some meaningless points in garbage time, but the Warriors finished their victory with ease.

What's Next?

The series will shift to Houston for Game 3 on Thursday.

Home-court advantage is usually a positive in the NBA playoffs, but Golden State was an overpowering 34-7 on the road this season. It won at Houston twice during the regular season—including once without Curry—and may get Curry back.

The Warriors, however, have their sights set on defending their title. Anything less than another championship would be considered a disappointment, so it may be best to rest Curry with that long-term goal in mind.

Of course, the faster Golden State dispatches Houston, the longer it can rest before the second round starts. Having Curry would surely give the Warriors better odds of sweeping the series, but if the Rockets play the kind of defense they put on display Monday, they are not going to beat Golden State, even if the reigning MVP is on the sideline.

Postgame Reaction

Much of the postgame discussion focused on Curry's health.

"He just tried to push off on it. It was tender, so we weren't going to take a chance," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said, per Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.

Marc J. Spears of ESPN relayed information about Curry's return: "Kerr said he wants to make sure [Curry's] ankle 'is right,' and when he plays next is based on health, not series."

The Warriors' depth shone through Monday. Livingston started at point guard and scored 16 points and dished out six assists.

"I'm mesmerized by [Livingston]," Thompson said, per the Warriors. "You can't ask for a better backup point guard in this league."

Kerr praised Iguodala's performance and said, per the Warriors, "It kind of reminded me of the Finals."

Iguodala earned the NBA Finals MVP Award after Golden State's victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.

As for the Rockets, Howard discussed the importance of defending their home court, via NBA TV:

Jason Terry talked about what he saw as one of the problems, per Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston:

While the Warriors will likely need Curry on the court if they hope to lift their second consecutive Larry O'Brien Trophy, role players like Livingston and Iguodala ensure beating the Rockets won't be a problem.