Los Angeles: The Golden State Warriors have defeated the Houston Rockets in a rugged NBA western conference semi-final encounter with Steph Curry dislocating a finger and James Harden suffering a lacerated eyelid.
The Warriors won 115-109 in Oakland on Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The series moves to Houston for the next two games.
"It's always fun to go on the road in a hostile environment," Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who had 21 points, said. "That's what makes you get up when you face adversity."
The Warriors' Australian centre Andrew Bogut continued to be a spectator with coach Steve Kerr sticking with a smaller starting line-up featuring Andre Iguodala alongside Curry, Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green.
Kerr also opted for mobile big men Jonas Jerebko and Kevon Looney off the bench ahead of Bogut.
Bogut was scoreless and had two rebounds in just two minutes of court time.
The injuries to the All-Star guards took place in the first quarter with Curry dislocating a finger on his left hand, then Rockets star Harden was hit in the face by Green while fighting for a rebound.
Warriors' medical staff popped Curry's finger back in while Harden's eyes were bloodshot and, having difficulty seeing, he shot an airball three-point attempt and passed a ball into crowd when he returned in the second-quarter.
Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 29 points and five rebounds while Curry had 20 points.
Harden battled through his eye issues for 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
In the eastern conference semifinal series, the Milwaukee Bucks struck back against Aron Baynes’s Boston Celtics.
The Bucks won 123-102 in Milwaukee to level their best-of-seven series 1-1 with the next two games in Boston.
The game was close at half-time with the Bucks up 59-55, but their NBA MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo found another gear to lead his team on an eight minute, 28-2 run.
The "Greek Freak" had 17 points in the quarter and the Bucks entered the final period up 98-73.
"In the third-quarter we started making shots, played hard and moved the ball really well," Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo finished the game with 29 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Queenslander Baynes, who is battling an ankle injury, played just 10 minutes and had four points and one rebound.
Boston forward Marcus Morris had 17 points and Kyrie Irving was unusually quiet with just nine points.
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