(The Sports Xchange) - The frantic, final moments nearly undermined all the Houston Rockets built in scratching out a double-digit lead, but James Harden took advantage of the disarray by doing what he does best. Harden nailed a step-back jumper with 2.7 seconds left, and the Houston Rockets claimed a 97-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game Three of a Western Conference first-round playoff series at Toyota Center on Thursday. The defending champion Warriors, playing a second consecutive game without All-Star guard Stephen Curry (right ankle sprain), still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game Four set for Sunday at Toyota Center.