NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors

Result: Houston Rockets def. Golden State Warriors 118-112

This was a highly anticipated matchup with two of the Western Conference powerhouses going at each other. The Warriors have lost both the games this regular season against the Houston Rockets and were looking to finally secure a victory over them.

The Rockets entered this game without James Harden who missed the game due to a neck injury. However, the Rockets did not show any signs of slowing down as they started dominating the Warriors very early in the first quarter.

The Warriors responded back strongly in the second quarter after losing the first quarter 35-20. The Rockets' lead came down to just seven points at the halftime and the two teams engaged in a very tight contest in the entire second half.

In the end, the Rockets managed to hold off the Warriors and take a 3-0 lead in the four-game regular season series against the Dubs. Let us take a look at three of the talking points from this marquee matchup.

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#3 Kenneth Faried's stellar performance

Kenneth Faried signed with the Rockets just over a month ago. Credit: The Dream Shake

Kenneth Faried chose to sign with the Houston Rockets after the buyout with Nets and that may well become the best decision of his life. Known for his days in Denver, Faried is known for his defensive skills.

After signing with the Rockets, he made his presence known very quickly as he is posting eye-catching numbers on a nightly basis. He has also been a walking double-double for the Rockets so far as he has registered 9 double-doubles in just 14 games for his new franchise.

Against the Warriors, Faried was very efficient on both ends of the floor and ended up scoring 20 points on 7-for-17 shooting. Out of his 10 rebounds, five of them came on the offensive end it shows how dominant he was in the paint.

#2 DeMarcus Cousins' monster double-double night

DeMarcus Cousins did a great job against the tall Houston defenders. Credit: SF Chronicle

Stat line: 13 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks

DeMarcus Cousins continues to dominate the opposition players in the paint as the center exploded and stuffed the stat sheet against the Rockets. He did a great job against the tall Houston defenders and did not allow the Rockets to score easily in the paint.

This is his fourth double-double this season and second straight. In his last game, two nights before, he had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the close win against the Sacramento Kings. The Warriors are still not using him fully considering the fact that he is just returning from a devastating Achilles injury.

Cousins is averaging 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season in 22.3 minutes of action.

#1 Chris Paul comes to the rescue in the absence of James Harden

Chris Paul carried the Rockets home in Golden State. Credit: WralSportsFan

Chris Paul missed a lot of games this season due to injury but once he came back, he started proving why he is one of the best guards in the league. The Rockets look like a different team with Paul on the roster and he will be one of their key players once again in the playoffs.

For the Houston Rockets to beat tough opponents, Paul is the key because he can shoot the ball by creating his own shot, he can drive to the basket, play defense and brings in a lot more to the table. It is worth noting that the Rockets were without their All-Star guard James Harden but still found ways to register the win.

The 33-year-old 23 points to go along with as many as 17 assists to help the team to victory. Even though he struggled scoring inside the paint, he was impressive from beyond the arc and used his playmaking ability to perfection.