The Golden State Warriors, known more for their offensive prowess, locked in on the defensive end on two separate occasions Tuesday night en route to a Game 1 win in the Western Conference Finals.
Stephen Curry scored 34 points with six rebounds and five assists as the Warriors defeated the resilient Houston Rockets, 110-106, to take the early lead in the best-of-seven series.
Shaun Livingston deposited 16 of his playoff career-high 18 in the first half and Draymond Green posted 13 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for Golden State, which is making its first appearance in the conference finals since 1976.
Klay Thompson struggled to 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting -- including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.
The build up coming into this game was Curry, the league MVP, going against James Harden, who finished second in the voting.
It lived up to the hype as Harden contributed 28 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to match Curry's strong performance.
Game 2 is Thursday at Oracle Arena.
>>T-Wolves Win No. 1 Pick In Upcoming NBA Draft
The Minnesota Timberwolves already have the last two No. 1 picks on their roster. Now they have the opportunity to add another one.
The 2015 NBA Draft lottery pretty much held to form on Tuesday night, with the Timberwolves winning the No. 1 pick.
It's the first time that the team with the worst record has won the draft lottery since the Orlando Magic in 2004. The Wolves, who went 16-66 during the regular season, had a 25 percent chance of obtaining the top selection.
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Andrew Wiggins with the No. 1 pick in last year's NBA Draft, but shipped him to Minnesota as part of the Kevin Love trade. Anthony Bennett, the top choice in 2013, was also included in the package.
The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks were the only two teams who didn't receive a pick according to the standings.
Los Angeles (21-61), which finished fourth in the NBA, will pick second, while the NBA's second-worst Knicks (17-65) got the fourth selection. New York had a 19.9 percent chance at getting the No. 1 pick.
The Lakers and Knicks are both picking in the top five for just the second time in the Common Draft era (1966), with the only time it occurring previously coming in 1979.
LA is in the lottery for the second straight season, but just the fourth time since it was instituted in 1994.
The Philadelphia 76ers (18-64) will pick third and the Orlando Magic (25-57) round out the top five.
