NBA: Klay Thompson, Warriors dent Rockets’ play-in hopes

Klay Thompson knocked down seven 3-pointers en route to a game-high-tying 29 points as the Golden State Warriors beat the host Houston Rockets 133-110 on Thursday night.

Golden State (42-34) dealt a crushing blow to Houston’s play-in hopes, as the Rockets (38-38) are now four games behind the Warriors for the final Western Conference play-in spot with six games remaining in the regular season. Golden State also owns the head-to-head tiebreaker after sweeping the teams’ three-game season series.

Thompson took 11 shots from beyond the arc and connected on 11 of 15 attempts overall. Stephen Curry also posted 29 points and Trayce Jackson-Davis had 20 for the Warriors, who have won six consecutive games.

Jabari Smith Jr. paced Houston with 24 points. Cam Whitmore supplied 17 points and Jalen Green finished with 13 points and seven assists as the Rockets failed to take advantage of 21 Golden State turnovers.

The Warriors shot a stunning 58.8 percent from the field (47 of 80), going 17-for-35 from deep (48.6 percent). Houston made 36 of 86 shots from the floor (41.9 percent), including 12 of 40 from 3-point range (30 percent).

Up by 15 at halftime, Golden State needed less than four minutes in the third quarter to virtually put the game away.

After Fred VanVleet sank a pair of free throws for the Rockets, Thompson hit two treys and Jackson-Davis had two buckets down low as part of a 12-6 outburst. That allowed the Warriors to open up a 77-58 advantage with 8:12 to play in the third, and the period ended with Golden State ahead 99-83.

Houston trailed by at least 14 for the entirety of the fourth.

Thompson scored 11 points during a game-opening 19-6 run for the Warriors, who led 33-24 after 12 minutes of action.

Smith then took over in the second quarter, scoring 14 points in the final 7:42 of the period, but Golden State managed to take a 65-50 lead into the break. Houston had climbed within 51-46 with 4:14 left in the second period before the Warriors rode a 14-4 burst to the halftime cushion. — Field Level Media/Reuters