Sun | Dec 1, 2024

Hot Warriors ease past Rockets

Published:Sunday | April 24, 2016 | 6:44 PM
AP
Houston Rockets' James Harden (right) drives around Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Houston yesterday. Golden State won 121-94.

HOUSTON (AP):

Klay Thompson scored 23 points as the Golden State Warriors set an NBA play-off record with 21 three-pointers to overcome another injury to Stephen Curry and beat the Houston Rockets 121-94 yesterday for a 3-1 series lead.

Curry returned after missing two games with a sprained right ankle, but did not play in the second half after spraining his right knee.

He slid awkwardly to the court while defending on the last play before half time and immediately grabbed his knee. He got up and looked to have trouble putting weight on it before jogging with a limp to the locker room. He came out with the team after half time, but sat on the bench for most of the warm-up time. After talking with coaches, he returned to the locker room.

NBA RECORD

Golden State were just fine without him thanks to three-point shooting that led to a 41-point third quarter. The Warriors bested the NBA record they shared for threes in a playoff game when Brandon Rush made one from the top of the key with about two and a half minutes left.

Golden State host Game 5 on Wednesday.

Dwight Howard led Houston with 19 points and 15 rebounds. James Harden had 18 points, 10 assists and seven steals.

In Memphis Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points as San Antonio routed Memphis to sweep the best-of-seven series and advance to the Western Conference semi-finals.

The Spurs finished off their ninth sweep of a postseason series in franchise history and their third against the Grizzlies. San Antonio also swept Memphis in the 2004 first round and the 2013 Western Conference finals.

The only thing that delayed the Spurs advancing was a power surge that knocked out the lights, stopping the game for about 20 minutes in the second quarter.

San Antonio now await the winners of Oklahoma City-Dallas, a best-of-seven series that the Thunder lead 3-1.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Tony Parker added 16 points. David West had 11.

Lance Stephenson scored 26 points off the bench for the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph and Matt Barnes each had 15 points, and Vince Carter 14.