Klay relieved Dubs snapped 'gross' road losing streak at last originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Warriors won a road game for the first time since Jan. 30 on Monday night at Toyota Center, and Klay Thompson couldn't be happier.
"It feels really good, and we have a chance to do it again on Wednesday and really right the ship from this trip," Thompson told reporters after the Warriors' snapped an 11-game road losing streak with a 121-108 victory over the Houston Rockets.
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"It's nice to snap an ugly streak like that. That was gross."
Gross, ugly, whatever you want to call it -- it's finally over. Still, it could have been worse. Had Golden State lost a 12th-straight road game Monday, the team would have tied the 1998-99 Chicago Bulls for the worst road losing streak by a defending champion in NBA history.
But, crisis averted. Now, the Warriors can look ahead to a pivotal game against the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday that has major playoff implications. The Dubs (No. 6 in the Western Conference) and Mavs (No. 7) currently have the same number of losses (36), and Wednesday's clash at American Airlines Center will decide the season tiebreaker.
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The Warriors certainly hope they can come out with the same energy against the Mavericks that they showed the Rockets on Monday. Thompson and fellow Splash Brother Steph Curry combined for 59 points against Houston, and Golden State's fourth-quarter flurry helped them secure secure a much-needed win.
"I think we didn't foul, and when we can just get the ball off the rim and go, it opens up everything for us," Thompson said of the Warriors' 37-point fourth. "Then, on top of that, we've got some great shot-making from Anthony Lamb and [Jonathan Kuminga] made a nice mid-range move, and Steph, obviously, doing his thing. Those were probably the big components of the fourth-quarter surge."
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So now, with the monkey off its back, could momentum be on Golden State's side headed into the regular season's final stretch? Possibly, but Thompson knows there are few things the Warriors have to keep doing well if they want to remain in the win column.
"I would say the keys would be: Defend without fouling, being very sure with the ball and limiting turnovers, being connected," Thompson said, before noting the most important factor, "and, above all, have fun."
