One night after disappointing themselves and their teammates, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green experienced 48 minutes of sweet redemption.
Thompson scored 38 points and Green posted his fifth triple-double of the season -– including a career-high 16 assists -– as the Warriors grounded the Rockets 114-110 at Toyota Center in Houston.
Green scored his 10th point with 26.6 seconds left, adding to his 16 assists and 11 rebounds, rounding out his triple-double.
Three other Warriors scored in double figures, led by Andre Iguodala with 20 points, Shaun Livingston with 13 and Ian Clark added 12.
The Warriors (30-2) overcame 18 turnovers by outrebounding the Rockets 43-33 and outshot them 51.2 percent to 46.2 percent. Moreover, the Warriors had a 48-34 advantage in points in the paint.
The victory was achieved with fabulous ball movement, with Green setting the tone. The Warriors posted 35 assists on 43 baskets to offset the second consecutive absences of Stephen Curry and Festus Ezeli.
STANDOUT PERFORMER
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The award for this one goes to the entire team, with Thompson and Green and Iguodala standing center photo after rebounding from poor performances the previous night in a loss at Dallas.
Thompson’s line: 38 points (16-of-27 shooting, 6-of-11 beyond the arc) and seven rebounds.
Green’s line: 10 points, 16 assists, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots in submitting his league-league fifth triple-double.
Iguodala’s line: 20 points (6-of-7 shooting), four assists, three rebounds and a team-best plus-15 in the Plus/Minus category.
TURNING POINT
Trailing 80-78 with two minutes left in the third quarter, the Warriors closed out the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 90-82 lead into the fourth.
The big blows during that stretch were 3-point bombs by Iguodala and Thompson on back-to-back possessions.
Houston never caught up after that, getting no closer than four.
INJURY UPDATE
Warriors: G Stephen Curry (L leg injury) and C Festus Ezeli (L big toe) were listed as doubtful and did not play. F Harrison Barnes (L ankle sprain), G Leandro Barbosa (L shoulder sprain) and F Kevon Looney (R hip surgery rehab) are not with the team.
Rockets: F Sam Dekker (back pain) was listed as out and placed on the inactive list.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Warriors return to Oakland, where on Saturday night they face the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. PST.
