Steph Curry and Klay Thompson both scored 29 points each, leading the Golden State Warriors to a six-game winning streak with a 133-110 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night. “We know we can score against most teams, but defense has been our calling card,” Curry said.
The Warriors, currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, took the lead early and established a 15-point advantage by halftime, fueled by Thompson’s 21 points. 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 mentioned that they are not fixated on the standings but are focused on sustaining their 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.”
With this victory, the Warriors have a 3-0 record against Houston this season and have secured wins in their 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. led the Rockets with 24 points, as they suffered their third consecutive loss after an 11-game winning streak. Rookie Cam Whitmore contributed 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 now have a 42-34 record with this win, ensuring a winning season for the 38th time in franchise history and the fourth in a row. Golden State led by 16 points heading into the fourth quarter and extended the lead to 20 before Kerr substituted the bench players with about four minutes remaining.
Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis had a career-high 20 points for the Warriors, along 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 played without Jonathan Kuminga for the fifth consecutive game due to a knee injury, although Kerr mentioned that he should return on Friday night. Andrew Wiggins sustained an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and didn’t return, but Kerr assured that the injury wasn’t severe.
