Steph rescues, Klay makes history as Golden State Warriors win second-straight

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry has ensured the Golden State Warriors have escaped from Houston with their second-straight win, exploding for four threes in a row late in the final period to dazzle fans at Toyoto Center on Sunday.

After the Rockets had overcome a 16-point second-quarter deficit to lead with less than six minutes left, Curry battled through his own slow start to push the Warriors to a 106-95 victory.

Curry’s barrage included an awe-inspiring crossover into fly-by three on Golden State foe Dillon Brooks, providing a highlight that will no doubt reverberate around the league and across social media.

The Golden State Warriors were made to work but eventually got the better of the Houston Rockets with an 11-point win on Sunday.

After a 13-7 Houston opening, the Warrior bench turned up the screws with some hounding defense led by Gary Payton II. Chris Paul’s move to the bench paid immediate dividends, with Golden State going +16 in less than nine minutes with Curry on the bench in the opening half.

But after the Warriors had held a 16-point advantage, the starters allowed the Rockets back into the game and within four late in the second-quarter. Klay Thompson led an 8-2 run to close, with his 16 points on 6-9 shooting ensuring Golden State took a 57-47 lead to the main break.

The Warriors extended their lead to 13 early in the third, but the margin was whittled down to six by the end of the period with an ill-advised Jonathan Kuminga foul in the final two seconds gifting the Rockets two points.

The home side sought to continue their momentum in the fourth, beginning on a 6-0 run to tie the scores at 81. Yet after just 10 points through the opening 42 minutes of the game, Curry made sure an upset loss wasn’t on the cards.

The 35-year-old’s four threes single-handedly turned a tricky situation into a comfortable final two minutes, with the young Rockets unable to last against their more experienced opponents.

Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Thompson added 19 on an efficient 7-12 shooting. The 33-year-old’s five triples also made history in pushing him into the top 10 on the all-time three-pointers made list.

Draymond Green played nearly 21 minutes in his return from an ankle injury, posting four points, five rebounds and five assists. Paul had eight points, five rebounds and seven assists in his first career game off the bench, while Payton added 15 points, four rebounds and three steals.

For all the discussion around potential defensive issues going into the season, Golden State held up effectively for a third-straight game. They limited Houston to just 37.8% shooting from the floor and 27.3% from three-point range.

The Warriors have moved to 2-1 on the season ahead of a matchup with the Pelicans on the second night of a back-to-back in New Orleans on Monday.