By ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON (AP) — Steph Curry and Klay Thompson scored 29 points each and the Golden State Warriors stretched their winning streak to a season-high six games with a 133-110 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, April 4.
“We know we can score against most teams but defense has been our calling card,” Curry said.
The Warriors, who are in 10th place in the Western Conference, never trailed and built a 15-point lead by halftime behind 21 points by Thompson. He made seven 3-pointers with five of them coming in the first half.
“Man, he was smoking and that was fun to watch,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He was feeling it right from the beginning.”
Kerr said he’s not focused on the standings, but rather how they can build on this momentum.
“We’re not thinking about any of that, we’re just trying to win,” he said. “We’re on a nice run right now and we’re playing good basketball. So we’re going to do that for the next six games and see where we land.”
They improved to 3-0 against Houston this season and have won the last 13 regular-season games against the Rockets.
“We know what’s at stake and we know how important these last games are,” Thompson said. “So I thought we played with the sense of urgency we needed to get it done.”
Jabari Smith Jr. had 24 points to lead the Rockets, who dropped their third game in a row after winning their previous 11 games. Rookie Cam Whitmore added 17 points off the bench.
“You have to up your level against higher quality, high IQ teams,” coach Ime Udoka said. “Lack of communication has been one thing, but when you see that many slips to the basket and two men on one ball, it’s a lack of communication or a lack of recognition of who you’re guarding.”
The Warriors moved to 42-34 with the win to give them a winning season for the 38th time in franchise history and the fourth in a row.
Golden State was up by 16 after three and had pushed the lead to 20 when Kerr cleared the bench with about four minutes remaining.
Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a career-high 20 points for the Warriors with five rebounds and four assists in his 10th start this season.
“Trayce, for a rookie, it’s amazing what he’s doing,” Kerr said. “He’s gaining a lot more confidence with the extra playing time here in the second half of the season.”
The Warriors were without Jonathan Kuminga for a fifth straight game because of a knee injury. But Kerr said he was doing better and should return Friday night.
Andrew Wiggins injured his ankle in the fourth quarter and didn’t return, but Kerr said the injury wasn’t serious.
Houston’s Alperen Sengun, who has been out since severely spraining his right ankle March 10, spoke to reporters for the first time since his injury Thursday. He said he’s doing much better, but that he’s only at about 60%, making it unlikely that he’ll return this season.
In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia opened a big lead, wasted it all, opened another big lead, wasted that one as well, then found itself in trouble midway through the fourth quarter.
No problem. The 76ers had one last run in them — and it was the only one that mattered.
Tyrese Maxey scored 37 points, Joel Embiid added 29 and the 76ers topped the Miami Heat, 109-105, to tighten the already-muddled race in the Eastern Conference for the last guaranteed playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson had 35 points and 11 assists, Josh Hart scored a season-high 31 points and the New York Knicks erased a 21-point deficit and beat the Sacramento Kings, 120-109, to snap a three-game losing streak.
Hours after announcing that Julius Randle would have right shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season, the Knicks showed why they might still be dangerous without him. Hart shook off a sprained right wrist to shoot 14 for 19 and add nine rebounds and eight assists, and Donte DiVincenzo scored 21 points.
