OAKLAND, Calif. – Klay Thompson scored 40 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career, Draymond Green posted his franchise-best 12th triple-double and the Golden State Warriors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-105 on Sunday night.
Stephen Curry had 20 points and eight assists and Green contributed 13 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Golden State (66-7) stayed a game ahead of the pace set by the 1995-96 Bulls’ during their record 72-win season. Chicago was 65-8 through 73 games.
Backup big man Marreese Speights added 17 points and seven rebounds in the Warriors’ 53rd straight regular-season victory at Oracle Arena and 35th consecutive at home this season.
Carl Landry scored 22 points for the lowly Sixers, who lost their ninth in a row and 22nd in 23 while playing a back-to-back.
When coach Steve Kerr took the Golden State job before last season, he challenged Speights to extend his range by a foot. It was a slow process that didn’t happen during the championship run, but the 6-foot-10 center has done it this season all right.
The Splash Brothers set the example for a guy they’re considering giving “Splash Cousin” status.
Curry (350) and Thompson (253) have 603 combined 3s, the most by a pair of teammates in a season. Reigning NBA MVP Curry, already the first player in NBA history with 300 3s in a season, has nine games left to chase 400.
Thompson shot 15 for 27 and had his fourth 40-point game this season and eighth of his career, all coming at home. Speights hit his first six field-goal tries, including a pair of 3-pointers, and finished 7 for 10.
Ish Smith added 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting and 10 assists for the 76ers, who rallied from 24 points down and 19 in the fourth quarter before losing 108-105 to Golden State in the first meeting Jan. 30 on Harrison Barnes’ game-winning 3 with .2 seconds left.
On Sunday, Curry started 1 for 6 and missed his initial four 3-point tries before connecting 4 minutes before halftime — running his NBA record to 143 straight games with at least one 3.
CLIPPERS 105,
NUGGETS 90
LOS ANGELES — DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 16 rebounds and Los Angeles beat Denver to become the fourth Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot.
Chris Paul added 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists, Jamal Crawford also had 14 points, Jeff Green and Wesley Johnson each added 13, and J.J. Redick had 12. The Clippers had a 25-8 edge in fast-break points.
Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points, and D.J. Augustin added 18 for Denver. Gary Harris finished with 11 points, Joffrey Lauvergne had 10, and Darrell Arthur grabbed 12 rebounds.
The Nuggets, 10th in the West with eight games remaining, fell 5 1/2 games behind the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets in the race for the conference’s eighth and final playoff berth.
PACERS 104,
ROCKETS 101
INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George scored 16 of his 25 points in the first quarter and Indiana overcame 34 points from James Harden to beat Houston.
Monta Ellis had 23 points and Ian Mahinmi tied his career high with 19 points for the Pacers, who have won three of four.
Harden also had eight rebounds and Trevor Ariza had 14 points for the Rockets, who have lost two straight.
Ellis scored the go-ahead basket with 4:46 left to give the Pacers a 96-95 lead and Mahinmi scored back-to-back baskets to put Indiana ahead 100-95.
The Pacers took a 16-point lead in the third quarter and appeared to have the game put away before the Rockets went on a run and took a lead early in the fourth quarter with a dunk by Ariza.
KINGS 133,
MAVERICKS 111
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein followed a breakout offensive performance with 21 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead Sacramento over Dallas.
The Mavericks have dropped three straight and 10 of 12. They are ninth in the Western Conference and trail Houston by half a game for the final playoff spot.
Cauley-Stein, the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft, set a career high with 26 points on Friday night against Phoenix and followed up with just his second 20-plus point game.
Darren Collison had 17 points and Seth Curry and Ben McLemore each had 14 for the Kings. Rajon Rondo had 11 points and 11 assists.
Raymond Felton had 15 points and both J.J. Barea and Dirk Nowitzki had 14 for the Mavericks. Wesley Matthews and David Lee each scored 12 points.
Wizzards 101,
Lakers, 88
LOS ANGELES – John Wall had 22 points and 13 assists, and Marcin Gortat added 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Washington Wizards’ 101-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.
Kobe Bryant scored 17 points in 23 minutes for the Lakers, who have lost seven of eight to fall to 15-58. Bryant has four home games remaining in his 20-year NBA career, and the Staples Center crowd serenaded him with cheers and chants while the Lakers listlessly lost again.
Otto Porter Jr. scored 14 points in the Wizards’ balanced performance during the opener of a four-game West Coast swing with their playoff hopes in peril. Washington has won six of eight overall, but dropped two straight home games before the trip.