Thompson, Warriors shoot past Magic
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Klay Thompson exploded for 21 of his game-high 29 points in the first quarter Thursday night as the Golden State Warriors ran away from the Orlando Magic early en route to a 122-92 victory.
Stephen Curry added 25 points as the Warriors (54-14) shot 57.5 percent while recording a season-series sweep of Orlando and an eighth straight win overall against the Magic.
The victory was the Warriors' ninth this season by 30 or more points. Orlando has now lost six times by at least 30 this year.
After needing to rally from a 16-point deficit to scratch out a 106-104 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, the Warriors left no doubt in the middle game of their five-day homestand, burying the Magic with a 12-2, game-opening run.
Thompson had eight points, including two 3-pointers, in the flurry.
Golden State went on to lead by as many as 21 in the period and 28 in the second quarter before coasting home.
Thompson finished 12 of 20 from the field, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. As a team, the Warriors made 10 of their 26 3-point tries (38.5 percent).
Curry added a pair of 3-pointers during an 8-of-15 shooting night.
Curry also recorded the 1,000th steal of his career in the game's ninth minute.
Andre Iguodala had 14 points off the bench, Zaza Pachulia notched a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double, and Draymond Green pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points and six assists for the Warriors, who moved 1 1/2 games up on the San Antonio Spurs (52-15) for the best record in the NBA.
Elfrid Payton and backup Jeff Green had 13 points apiece for Orlando, which completes a back-to-back Friday night at Phoenix.
The Magic (24-45) haven't won a road game since Feb. 13.
Evan Fournier (12 points) and Nikola Vucevic (10) also scored in double figures for Orlando, which has lost four in a row.
Backup big man Bismack Biyombo had a team-high 10 rebounds for the Magic, who outrebounded the Warriors 49-47.
NOTES: Warriors PG Stephen Curry ranks second in Warriors history in steals, trailing only SF Chris Mullin (1,360). ... Despite the loss and a fourth consecutive season-series sweep, the Magic retained a 30-26 lead over the Warriors in the all-time series. ... Magic PF Aaron Gordon, a former prep standout at Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose, Calif., scored six points in 21 minutes. He made only one previous return to the San Francisco Bay Area as an NBA player. He recorded the only 20/15 game of his career on that occasion -- 20 points and 16 rebounds against the Warriors last March. ... On reaching the 500-game milestone as an NBA coach, Orlando's Frank Vogel noted before the game, "Hopefully I can hang around 500 more."