OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors outlasted the Houston Rockets 107-98 on Friday with a brilliant effort from their two defensive stalwarts, defensive player of the year contender Draymond Green and consummate sixth man Andre Iguodala. The two combined to help overcome and overwhelm the Rockets as Houston sputtered down the stretch. In doing so, the Warriors reminded observers of how they've come to be basketball's best defense.

Of Green's efforts, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, "I think he's the best defensive player in the league and I thought he showed that tonight." Kerr added, rightfully, "You've got to mention Andre as well in that same breath. His defense tonight and everything he did was fantastic. He just continues his great play."

Houston had plenty of verve in the first quarter, and played well before hurtling into that fourth-quarter lurch. The Rockets could have been forgiven for laying an egg in this game, too. For one, they have nothing to play for, beyond their superstar's MVP chances. Houston is locked into the third seed in the West, and there's something bizarre about the Rockets' insistence on forging forward with heavy-minute loads. At the same time, you have to admire the effort, especially on back-to-back nights, after a tough loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Houston took Golden State's initial punch and didn't wobble. The Warriors went up by eight early but soon were ceding points to a revved-up Rockets transition attack. Houston eventually pushed its lead to 13 and would have led by a lot more with better 3-point luck (at the half, the Rockets were 6-of-23 from deep).

Beyond Houston's early inaccuracy, JaVale McGee helped the Warriors keep things close, as he swatted a season-high five blocks to go along with 13 points in less than 11 minutes. McGee can be a polarizing player. Some love his presence, others caterwaul in opposition to the idea of him as a useful player. The truth is somewhere in between. Some nights, he has it. Others, not so much. He's the typical heat-check bench scorer, only he happens to be a lanky center.

Draymond Green helped harass Rockets star James Harden into a 4-of-18 performance in the Warriors' victory Friday. Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty

James Harden, he of the injured left wrist, did what he could despite the malady. The shot was initially errant (1-of-8 in the first half, 4-of-18 for the game), but he rebounded well out of his zone and found open shooters.

Stephen Curry, meanwhile, was cold to start, off in a few different parts of the game. Beyond the offense, the Warriors star gave up a couple of 3-pointers to Patrick Beverley when he went under screens. (Note: That might have been the game plan.)

In the third quarter, Curry summoned some grit, grabbing a difficult offensive rebound and saving the possession with a behind-the-back pass. He used his guile, weaving his way into contact, scoring 14 points in the quarter, helped along by 4 of 5 free throws.

Green finished off the quarter with fantastic back-to-back blocks (one on a Sam Dekker drive, another on a chase down of a certain Montrezl Harrell layup) and contesting a Lou Williams layup. Through this, the Warriors closed the gap by end of the frame despite Houston's waking up from distance.

The Rockets took a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter, only to suddenly feel the wrath of a defense fully realized. During a 12-0 Golden State run that lasted nearly seven minutes, Houston went 0-of-9 from the field, 0-of-5 from 3 and 0-of-2 from the free throw line, with three turnovers. Keyed by the frenzied activity of Dre and Dray, the Rockets were playing as though the ball were greased, sometimes getting possession as quickly as they lost it.

Green delivered perhaps the best performance for his DPOY case. In the end, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the Rockets finished 3-of-17 against Green as primary defender, coughing up two turnovers. They were 0-of-5 against him in the fourth.

"Some guys might think they have a mismatch or anything like that, but I kind of take it personal," Green said of his success in isolation defense. "So when I'm 1-on-1 with a guy, I kind of think it's a battle at that point, and it's personal to me."

Whatever the motivation, Green keeps winning these battles, again and again. Or, as McGee flatly framed his perception of an offensive player going at Green, "I just go with percentages and I don't think they're going to score."

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Iguodala was no less brilliant, finishing with three blocks and a steal in the fourth quarter. He has proved himself quite the Harden-stopper, if there is such a thing. Over the course of this season series, when Iguodala is the primary defender on Harden, The Beard has managed four points on 2-of-10 shooting, with seven turnovers in four games.

Those are eye-popping figures but much of Golden State's individual defensive efforts cannot be quantified or tracked. What's certain is that the Warriors are clicking as a collective. On this 10-game win streak, Golden State has managed an incredible 96.1 defensive rating -- that ranks first in the NBA since the streak started on March 14. The streak has been a signature stretch for a defense often overshadowed by the Splash Brothers. With Kevin Durant, perhaps their best rim protector, in a suit, the Warriors have dug deep and ramped up the D. Much like many of the nightly exploits of Iguodala and Green, it has been an impressive, though unsung, success.