The Golden State Warriors are rolling into the final stretch of the season and remain at the height of their powers. To cap their six-game homestand at Oracle Arena, Golden State dismantled the Washington Wizards 107-76 with a dominating second-half performance on Monday.
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After taking a 52-49 lead into half-time, the Warriors crushed Washington 29-8 in the third quarter and finished the game on a 55- 27 run.
“The shots started to fall as we got momentum and confidence in the third quarter and got our crowd into it. It was fun,” said point guard Stephen Curry, who had 24 points, six assists and five rebounds.
My Top 5 MVP candidates are Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis & Chris Paul.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 24, 2015
Golden State didn’t even need a typical outing from Klay Thompson as the shooting guard returned to the lineup after missing three games with an ankle injury.
The deadeye shooter was off his usual mark, failing to convert any of his five 3-pointers and hitting 3-of-9 from the field overall in 18 minutes of play.
“I felt good. I didn’t feel any pain,” Thompson said. “Of course, I got a little tired. But that’s going to happen because it’s really hard to simulate game speed.”
The Warriors have been at their best during the six-game stretch, crossing the century mark on offence and keeping teams in double figures in five of the six contests. With the victory over the Wizards, Golden State became the first team in NBA history to be undefeated in two six-game homestands in the same season.
“I think the last few games have been a real progression for us in terms of just being very methodical and professional,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
A tough challenge is in store for Golden State with seven of their next eight games on the road, including potential playoff match-ups with contenders Portland, Memphis, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas and San Antonio.
Heading from the comforts of home to the road hasn’t caused much of a drop-off for the Warriors this season, as they pair their league-leading 34-2 record at Oracle Arena with the NBA’s best away mark at 23-11.
