Brooks talked coach Rick Adelman out of running a pick-and-roll on Houston's final possession. Brooks drove on C.J. Watson in the closing seconds, pulled up for a 12-footer and got the foul call as Watson hit his shooting arm.

"I don't know what to tell you. I hate to see a game decided on a jump-shot foul, but that's really what happened," said Nelson, who was on the bench for the first time since being diagnosed with pneumonia Nov. 23. "It cost us the game."

Actually, what cost the Warriors the game was letting a 10-point fourth-quarter lead dissipate while using a lineup with 6-foot-5 Anthony Morrow at power forward and 6-6 Corey Maggette at center. During that nine-minute stretch, Vladimir Radmanovic sat on the bench - a decision Nelson didn't really defend.

"You can say what you want," Nelson said. "I wouldn't argue with you if you wanted to say I rested him too long."

Radmanovic made four threes on an 8-for-13 shooting night for 20 points and had his hands all over one of the Warriors' best third quarters of the season. They needed only the opening three minutes to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a 66-62 lead, getting a basket from each of the five second-half starters as they made 6 of 7 shots in a 15-4 run.

Ellis got it started with two steals, an assist on a Morrow three and a layup, and Radmanovic offered the bookend to the run with a three and a layup before being pulled.

"That was coach's decision," Radmanovic said. "I don't want to question that. He saw some advantage out there with a small lineup.

"Unfortunately, they made a run. It's tough having a 10-point lead and losing it at the end."

Ellis had a team-high 24 points but shot 9 of 27 and had nine of the team's 17 turnovers. Radmanovic and Morrow combined to make 16 of 26 shots for 41 points.

Bell update: Guard Raja Bell had surgery Thursday to repair ligament damage in his left wrist and will likely miss the rest of the season. The surgery, performed by Dr. Paul Perlik at Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., involved the placement of pins in Bell's wrist.

The Warriors said Bell will miss at least three months, but rehabilitation for such a surgery is usually closer to four or five months. They could pitch him to a playoff contender at the February trade deadline, but it's more likely they'll try to re-sign him as a free agent this offseason.

Briefly: Ronny Turiaf missed his second consecutive game after re-injuring his left knee against Indiana on Monday.