Golden State Warriors snapped an 11-game road losing streak with a 121-108 victory over the Houston Rockets late on Monday. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 59 points to shine for the Warriors.
The Warriors won on the road for the first time since a January 30 victory at Oklahoma City.
Curry finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Thompson added 29 points and seven rebounds. They combined to shoot 21-for-44 overall and 10-for-28 from 3-point range to pace the Warriors (37-36). Jonathan Kuminga chipped in 17 off the bench for the Warriors.
Following a back-and-forth third quarter that featured five ties and eight lead changes, the Warriors seized control with an 18-6 rally early in the fourth. Golden State made its first four 3-point attempts in the period and Kuminga added a pair of breakaway dunks that fueled a run to a 108-93 lead.
Kuminga helped stabilise the Warriors late in the third after Houston (18-54) grabbed a 78-77 lead on an Usman Garuba corner trey with 2:26 left in the period. Kuminga immediately followed with a 3-pointer and added a 17-footer as Golden State carried an 84-80 lead into the fourth.
The Warriors were victorious despite committing 20 turnovers that Houston parlayed into 25 points. Golden State countered those miscues with 26 points off 18 Houston turnovers.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Rockets. Rookie Tari Eason posted his seventh double-double with 21 points and 12 boards while fellow rookie Jabari Smith Jr. also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Green scored 20 points for Houston, which was without starting centre Alperen Sengun (illness).
The Warriors ran an offensive clinic in the first quarter, scoring 11 points in transition and logging nine assists on their 11 field goals. They used a 15-3 run to secure a nine-point lead, though Houston cut it to 26-21 by the close of the first.
The second quarter was awash with turnovers. Curry tallied 15 points in the period and was instrumental in keeping the Warriors ahead despite their 10 giveaways that Houston converted into 10 points. The Rockets weren't much better, with their seven turnovers yielding 10 points.
(With inputs from Reuters)
