Rockets outlast Warriors in craziest game of the year

So... about that game?

In all seriousness, the Rockets just pulled out their biggest win of the season. Amid their second five game road trip, the Rockets somehow found a way to end the Warriors 12 game winning streak in Oracle Arena. So let's get to the recap, shall we?

The Rockets got off to a hot start, something Rockets fans are accustomed to by now. The Rockets jumped out to a 13-4 lead before the Warriors went to the DEATH LINEUP and got back in to the game very quickly. Those minutes the Rockets faced the DEATH LINEUP made it clear that Ryan Anderson is simply unplayable against small lineups like those.

After one, the Rockets held on to a 32-30 lead, mainly due to James Harden's early brilliance and Eric Gordon taking over off the bench. In the second quarter, it'd be an understatement to say the referees made their mark on this game. There were a lot of calls made against the Warriors, leading to two technical fouls called on Draymond Green and Steve Kerr. This got the crowd fired up and seeing the Rockets withstand that stretch speaks to a mental toughness they simply didn't have last season.

At the half, the Rockets led 64-59, with Harden posting 14 points and 6 assists, Gordon adding 12 points off the bench, and Ryan Anderson posting 15 points.

The third quarter was sloppy, but the Rockets withstood some big momentum-altering shots from the Warriors to maintain the lead going in to the fourth, 86-82.

The fourth quarter is where all the crazy began. The two teams exchanged shot after shot, with neither team gaining a significant edge. Ryan Anderson was huge down the stretch of this game, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to seemingly keep the Rockets alive. I guess that's why he's getting paid the big bucks.

With the game coming down to the final shot, James Harden got a good look at a step-back three but it just wasn't his night from beyond the arc (he finished the game 2-11 on three pointers). The game then went to the first overtime, in which the Warriors got off to a good start and everyone assumed they would just put it away. However, yet again the Rockets showed resilience we haven't seen in a Rockets team since the magical 2014-15 season. Also, Draymond Green kicked another person:

Draymond Green with a foot to Harden's head coming down. https://t.co/SGqKIj3vkf

— RealGM (@RealGM) December 2, 2016

After that whole situation was cleared up, the Rockets went on to hold the Warriors to 1-11 shooting in the second overtime, and closed out the big road W. There are probably a million things I'm missing from this recap, like Sam Dekker's emergence as a legit role player, Montrezl Harrell killing someone (with a dunk of course), and much more.

Oh and the Rockets play again Friday night in Denver. Gosh don't you just love the NBA schedule?