What we learned as Klay torches Heat in crucial Warriors win

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What we learned as Klay torches Heat in crucial Warriors win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr put Klay Thompson back in the starting lineup to shake up the Warriors’ sluggish offense, and the five-time NBA All-Star provided a huge spark in a 113-92 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday at Kaseya Center.

Thomspon, making his first start in nearly two weeks, paced the Warriors with 28 points. He made six 3-pointers and shot 11 of 20 overall to finish plus-25.

Stephen Curry had 17 points and six assists to help Golden State end a two-game losing streak that had put their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

The Warriors still need a strong finish over their final 11 games to get in. At 37-34, Golden State still trails the No. 9 Lakers in the West but moved a full game up on the Houston Rockets for the No. 10 seed.

Jonathan Kuminga added 18 points and seven rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and seven boards.

Chris Paul didn’t score but dished out seven assists and joined John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players in NBA history to have at least 2,600 steals.

The Warriors needed this one in the worst way, both for their playoff aspirations as well as their own mental well-being.

The Heat were without Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, which should have tilted the game in Golden State’s favor. But the Warriors haven’t played all that well against short-handed teams and didn’t take full control against Miami until the second half.

The Warriors let an eight-point lead slip away in the first quarter, trailed 55-53 at halftime, then turned things around in the third. Thompson scored eight of the Golden State’s 32 points in the quarter, and the Warriors were able to hold on from there.

That, in itself, is encouraging news. Nearly one-third of the Warriors’ losses this season have come when they’ve led going into the fourth quarter.

Golden State’s road trip continues Wednesday against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.

Here are the takeaways from Tuesday’s game:

Klay comes out firing

Thompson had long stretches where he looked a lot like his vintage self. That was big…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-klay-torches-heat-crucial-021333823.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-03-27 02:13:33

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