SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson erupted for 42 points Friday night to help the shorthanded Golden State Warriors torch the lowly Houston Rockets 116-101.
No Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Gary Payton II? No problem.
After going a lousy 14-for-49 from 3-point land the night before in a frustrating loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors lit it up from outside Friday at Chase Center, going 26-for-54 (48.1%) from deep.
The Warriors led by as many as 19 in the third quarter, but the Rockets, who are a league-worst 13-46 this season, cut it down to nine entering the fourth.
That’s when Thompson took over.
Thompson made five 3s in the fourth quarter. He put up three fingers and pranced down the court beaming with joy after knocking down his season-high-tying 12th triple of the evening.
Thompson, playing in only his second complete back-to-back set since coming back from two major injuries last season, couldn’t be stopped, and his teammates looked to feed him at any chance they got as the Warriors rolled passed to Rockets to return to .500 on the season.
This was Thompson’s fourth time this season eclipsing the 40-point mark and was his career game with double digit 3-pointers. That’s the second most in NBA history behind you guessed it — Stephen Curry, who has tallied 22 such games.
Thompson on Feb. 14 admitted to being a little sluggish on the second night of his first complete back-to-back. He would eventually settle in, finishing the night with 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting and 4 of 7 from deep.
Curry, Iguodala and Payton remain shelved indefinitely with their respective injuries. Curry is recovering from a leg injury after bumping knees with an opponent earlier this month. Iguodala is managing hip soreness after playing three games in January. And Payton is dealing with lingering pain stemming from an offseason surgery to repair a core muscle.
Meanwhile, Wiggins remains away from the team as he tends for a family matter and Green was ruled out before tip-off after a right knee contusion landed him on the Warriors’ injury report earlier in the day. It’s unclear the severity of Green’s injury.
But Thompson stepped up when the Warriors needed him most. Donte DiVincenzo, who had 15 points and five 3s, and Jordan Poole, who had 15 points and eight assists, were key pieces in the Warriors’ win, too.
The Warriors will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at Chase Center. Tip-off is at 4:30 p.m.
