Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr labelled James Harden "tough to handle" after the Rockets star led Houston to victory in Game 4 on Monday.

Harden had a double-double of 38 points and 10 rebounds to see the Rockets to a 112-108 triumph, bringing the Western Conference semi-final series back to 2-2.

Kerr said it was clear what the reigning NBA MVP was capable of, but he backed the Warriors to improve against the Rockets' star man.

"He's always been pretty good. It's hard for me to look back and compare from one year to the next because last year he was the MVP," Kerr told a news conference.

"And, [in a] seven-game series, he's tough to handle obviously. He's a great player and has a lot of ways to score and get to the rim so we've just got to stay with it.

"But I think we've done this plenty of times so we know what we have to do."

Both teams have won their home games to begin the series, which returns to Oracle Arena on Wednesday.

Kerr lamented the Warriors' lack of control in Game 4, despite 34 points from Kevin Durant and 30 from Stephen Curry.

"I thought we played plenty hard enough, but I think force has to be accompanied by poise," he said.

"It felt like we were in a rush offensively all night and we're at our best when we've got a bunch of playmakers out there and the ball's moving and we're attacking, but with the idea that we're going to get great shots and I didn't think we got great shots for much of the night.

"I thought we were just in a rush just to create pace. The pace is good, but we've got to get better shots and we're definitely capable of that.

"We've got to be more poised and that has to be a focus."