HOUSTON -- With Kevin Durant out of action, the Warriors submitted a total team effort and knocked off the Rockets 124-114 Thursday night at Toyota Center.
Stephen Curry scored 29 points, Klay Thompson had 28 and Draymond Green put in 17 en route to a triple-double. Starting for Durant, Andre Iguodala had 10 points, while David West put in 12 and Nick Young 11.
The victory allowed the Warriors (31-8) to move three games ahead of the Rockets (27-10) as the two teams battle for the best record in the Western Conference.
STANDOUT PERFORMER: Green and Thompson share the honors -- Thompson for his impactful scoring and Green for being the driving force behind the victory.
Green’s line: 17 points (4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 0-of-3 beyond the arc, 7-of-8 from the line), 14 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and a block. Playing four of the five positions at various points, he totaled 38 minutes and finished a team-best plus-11.
Thompson’s line: 28 points (11-of-21 shooting, including 6-of-10 from deep), four assists and three rebounds. He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors held off the Rockets. Thompson He played 38 minutes and finished plus-7.
TURNING POINT: After a Gerald Green 3-pointer gave Houston an 88-83 lead with 1:40 left in the third quarter, the Warriors responded with an 18-3 run spanning the end of the quarter and the beginning of the fourth, to go up 101-91 with 9:57 remaining.
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The Rockets got no closer than five the rest of the way.
INJURY UPDATE: Warriors: F Omri Casspi (back strain) was listed as questionable and declared out prior to tipoff. F Kevin Durant (R calf strain was listed as out. C Damian Jones is on assignment with the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors.
Rockets: C Nene (knee soreness) was declared out prior to tipoff. G James Harden (L hamstring strain), F Luc Mbah a Moute (R shoulder dislocation) and F Troy Williams were listed as out.
WHAT’S NEXT: The Warriors return to action Saturday, when they face the Clippers at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 11:30 a.m., with tipoff scheduled for 12:35.
