Houston Rockets hold on for win over Golden State Warriors

Dwight Howard defeated Australia’s Andrew Bogut in the battle of the big men and the Houston Rockets hung on to claim their first victory in the NBA playoff series against the Golden State Warriors.

The Rockets, down 2-0 before game three in Houston, played like a desperate team hoping to capitalise on Warriors’ star Steph Curry sitting out his second game with a sprained ankle.

The Warriors, after overcoming a 20-point deficit, held a one-point lead with 2.7 seconds to go but Rockets’ All-Star guard James Harden hit a jump shot to give his team the 97-96 win.

With 14 seconds left and the Rockets up by one point, an inbound pass from forward Trevor Ariza was intercepted by the Warriors’ Shaun Livingston who passed it to guard Ian Clark to score a layup, giving the Warriors a 96-95 lead.

Harden struck back with the jump shot, but Warriors forward Draymond Green, with 2.7 seconds left, fumbled an inbound pass, it hit his right leg and bounced over the sideline to give Houston the win.