They played like it Wednesday night, using a balanced scoring attack to rout the Golden State Warriors 127-105 and even the Western Conference finals at one game apiece.

James Harden and Eric Gordon each scored 27 points on a night Houston had five players score 16 points or more.

"We can beat anybody, anywhere at any time playing the way we play," coach Mike D'Antoni said.

The Rockets didn't trail after the first quarter and led by double digits for most of the night. They head to Oakland, California for Game 3 on Sunday night feeling much better after rebounding from a deflating 119-106 loss in the series opener.

P.J. Tucker added a playoff career-high 22 and Trevor Ariza had 19 as both bounced back after struggling in Game 1. Tucker had just one point in that game and Ariza scored eight, but was limited on defense after collecting his fifth foul early in the third quarter.

"I never worry about my offense ... it's all on defense," Tucker said. "If we get stops we'll be able to run. It changes the game and it changes the way we play and we know that."

Kevin Durant had 38 points after scoring 37 in the opener, but Stephen Curryand Klay Thompson combined for just 24 points after the pair went for 46 in Game 1.

Houston wasn't able to slow down Durant, but did a much better job of limiting open 3-pointers by Thompson and Curry, and the two made just 3 of 12 attempts.

"They were desperate tonight and played like it, and we weren't and it showed," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.

The Warriors made three free throws to get within 11 early in the fourth quarter before the Rockets scored the next 11 points, with 3s from Gordon, Tucker and Harden to make it 111-89 with about 6 1/2 minutes to play.

Durant made a basket after that, but Houston scored the next eight points to extend the lead to 119-91 with about five minutes left.

The Warriors got frustrated in that stretch, with Durant getting a technical for shoving Harden in the back and Draymond Green pushing Ariza out of bounds seconds later. It was then that Kerr sent all of his starters to the bench for good.

Gordon came off the bench to make six 3-pointers, Tucker tied a playoff best with five and Harden added three.

"They were more settled tonight and they hit timely shots," Durant said. "The first quarter was still the most important part of the game. Eric Gordon hit two big 3s and that kind of settled them in. Those shots did it for them."Read More Here

Before the Western Conference finals tipped off, Stephen Curry joked that he expected the Houston Rockets to attack him defensively on "every single play."

He wasn't too far off.

The Rockets targeted Curry on 23 possessions in Game 2, the most he has been targeted in a game this postseason, as they routed the Golden State Warriors127-105 on Wednesday night to even the series at one game apiece. He was the primary defender on 20 plays in Game 1.

According to Second Spectrum, Curry defended 15 isolation plays in Game 1 and 13 in Game 2. Both were more than he had defended in the past four seasons, regular season and playoffs.

"They made shots," Curry said about the Rockets' high point total. "We were just a step slow on our rotations and our switches. Guys got into the paint. We know their M.O. is isolation, trying to get dribble drives, get the ball in the paint. ... We've got to respond with some more aggressiveness and more discipline on the defensive end."

Asked about how relentlessly the Rockets are zeroing in on Curry, coach Mike D'Antoni said, "It's obviously one of our things we like to do."

In the series, James Harden and Chris Paul are consistently calling for screens from the teammate Curry is guarding to get the two-time MVP to switch onto them. Once Curry switches to the primary ball handler, the Rockets attempt to penetrate to the basket.

Houston shot 7-of-15 from the field on those 23 possessions Curry was the primary defender. Curry was beat off the dribble frequently and too often allowed Harden to drive to his stronger left side.

"We were trying to be too cute with our [defensive] exchanges and our switches and all that stuff instead of just manning up and playing one-on-one defense," Curry said. "Whether they score or not, as hard as we're working on the defensive end, they're working as hard on the offensive end to get shots up. That was the difference between Game 1 and Game 2. They made a concerted effort to turn those one-on-one situations into a little bit more ball movement, and we were just a step slow, myself included."

Many are questioning whether Curry is fully healed from his left knee injury that forced him to miss five weeks.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he believes his point guard can handle the defensive toll the Rockets are bestowing.

"[Steph's] feeling good," he said. "I don't know what this was, maybe his sixth or seventh game back. So he's getting better, and I thought he played a lot better in Game 1 than anyone gave him credit for. But, again, it wasn't our night. Our defense wasn't connected. We weren't on the same page on a lot of plays where we got a little out of sorts."

Houston shot 51 percent from the field and has won seven straight playoff games when shooting 50 percent or better dating to 2009.

"We just got to guard," Durant told ESPN when asked about the Rockets targeting Curry and reserve Nick Young. "They're making us play old school one-on-one defense. We just got to guard, and not foul. We got like three or four and-1s there in the third quarter from reaching in. We just got to guard and man up and see what happens."

D'Antoni's offensive scheme is limiting what the Warriors can do from a team defensive concept. But Durant didn't want to use that as an excuse for their poor defensive showing. Read More Here