Warriors roll into break with rout of Kings
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors vented the frustration of six consecutive substandard quarters with a 28-2, third-quarter flurry Friday night that enabled them to erase a halftime deficit and roll to a 109-86 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Klay Thompson had a game-high 35 points, including 14 in the third-period spree, helping Golden State record a seventh straight home win over Sacramento.
The victory, which came on the heels of a stunning, 132-110 loss at Denver on Monday night, increased the Warriors' run of consecutive games without back-to-back defeats to an NBA-record 142.
Golden State will go into the All-Star break with a 47-9 record, the 10th-best mark at the NBA's traditional midpoint in league history.
The Kings (24-33), who endured a tough 97-96 road win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, lost for the first time in five games.
Down 50-47 at halftime and having seen All-Star forward Draymond Green get ejected for two technical fouls, the Warriors ran away in the third period thanks to strong play at both ends of the court.
A third technical foul on a Warrior -- this one on center JaVale McGee -- helped the Kings retain a 57-54 lead in the third minute of the third period before the roof caved in on the visitors, who beat Golden State 109-106 in overtime 11 days earlier.
Thompson bombed in a 3-pointer and added a free throw as the Warriors scored the next six points to give them a lead they never relinquished. The Kings' Matt Barnes countered with a hoop that made it a 60-59 game.
Then Golden State took off, getting two more 3-pointers from Thompson and one from Stephen Curry in a 22-0 bombardment that opened an 82-59 lead.
A follow shot by Barnes with 2:18 left in the period ended the 28-2 run, during which the Kings missed 10 of 11 shots and committed five turnovers in a stretch of 7:11.
The Warriors, meanwhile, went 9-for-11 during the runaway.
Thompson made 12 of his 18 shots, including 7 of 12 3-point attempts, en route to his fifth 30-point game of the season.
Kevin Durant chipped in with 21 points on 10-for-15 shooting to go with seven rebounds and seven assists, while Curry had a game-high nine assists to complement 13 points.
The Warriors shot 48.8 percent from the field and converted 13 of their 36 3-point attempts.
Barnes, a former Warrior, finished with a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double for the Kings. The game-high rebounding total was two off the veteran's career best.
Darren Collison had 14 points. DeMarcus Cousins finished with 13 points, four rebounds and six assists, with the Sacramento All-Star leaving the game for good during Golden State's third-quarter flurry. Cousins played 22 minutes.
The Kings shot just 37.1 percent for the game, missing 17 of their 24 3-point attempts.
Things looked good for the guests heading into halftime, especially with Green having gotten bang-bang technical fouls with 35.7 seconds remaining in the second period following a scramble in front of the hoop during which Cousins not only came away with the ball but also somehow flung it into the basket.
Green was called for a foul on the "shot." When he objected, he was assessed his ninth and 10th technical fouls of the season.
Free throws by Cousins and Collison completed a four-point, game-tying play, and when Collison buried a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left in the period, the Kings had their three-point halftime advantage.
NOTES: Warriors coach Steve Kerr disclosed before the game that his club would get six days off sandwiching the All-Star Game. He indicated C Zaza Pachulia (strained rotator cuff) and David West (broken thumb) likely would return to practice when the team reconvened next Wednesday. ... Asked when his team would have its next workout, Kings coach Dave Joerger announced: "My birthday. The 21st. What day is that?" (It's Tuesday.) ... The Kings began the night fourth in the NBA in number of games (15) in which they trailed by at least 20 points, and that total moved to 16 Wednesday. They never were behind by more than 17 in their first two meetings with the Warriors this season.