Klay Thompson finally joined the party as the Warriors snapped their six-game losing streak Monday night.
Klay Thompson finally joined the party as the Warriors snapped their six-game losing streak Monday night.
SAN FRANCISCO – Sometimes the seventh time’s the charm.
The Warriors snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating the Houston Rockets 121-116 on Monday night at the Chase Center. Of course, Steph Curry led the Warriors with 32 points, but this time Curry had some help.
Five Warriors scored in double figures, including Klay Thompson’s 20 points. As a team, the Warriors shot 46.8 percent from the field, 48.8 percent from 3-point range and made a career-high 21 3-pointers.
The Rockets had 19 more shots than the Warriors. Life gets a little easier when the outside shots are headed to the Golden State.
Here are three takeaways for the Warriors, who improved to 7-8 this season.
Point to God
What is Chris Paul’s typical stat line? Ignore Paul’s performance in the first half when the Warriors jumped out to a 10-point lead. Paul played 17 minutes and was a plus-15 with 7 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 turnover.
Paul’s first turnover didn’t come until the first period of the fourth quarter, when he posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. His final line was 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting, a double-double with 12 assists, six rebounds, two steals and one rebound.
The 19-year NBA veteran had 35 assists in the Warriors’ win. There was no receiver better than Thompson. The pitching had its best game of the season, assisting on five of Paul Clay’s seven hits. Paul has three double-doubles and more than 10 assists in four games this season.
2. Clay joined the 20 point club.
Playing for the Rockets could be just what Thompson needs. Thompson scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 5-of-10 from long range against the Rockets in the third game of the season on Monday.
Since then, Thompson has averaged 13 points per game on 37.4 percent shooting and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc. Klay took fire Monday morning against Houston and Thompson’s longtime friend Dylan Brooks. He scored 12 points and made three three-pointers in five minutes.
Thompson scored more than 20 points for the first time this season and entered the fourth quarter with a three-pointer. Breathe deeply.
The monkey may have fallen off Splash Brother’s back. Thompson surpassed 20 points this season with his first touchdown in the fourth quarter.
There’s no doubt Thompson was looking forward to such a performance, and the Warriors will hope his effectiveness continues into Wednesday night in Phoenix.
3. Quality over quantity
Curry going an entire quarter on one shot isn’t usually a recipe for success for the Warriors. The Warriors’ first quarter went like this, with Golden State taking a two-point lead in the first 12 minutes. Curry had just four shots at halftime.
Still, he scored 11 points on 91.7 percent shooting. On the final four shots of the first half, Curry was counted out in front of the Rockets bench.
Curry averaged 19.7 rebounds per game. Against the Rockets, he needed 14 shots to score 32 points, shooting 8 of 14 from the field, 5 of 12 from the free throw line and 11 of 12.
Curry has now scored 20 or more points in all 13 games he played, scored 30 or more points seven times and made four or more 3-pointers in each game.
You didn’t have to be Superman to end the losing streak. But Curry was still the same as usual.