NBA: Klay Thompson shoots Warriors past Suns
Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors shoots over Torrey Craig #0 and Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center on March 13, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP
Klay Thompson helped Golden State build a big lead with a 33-point first half, Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole chipped in with 23 and 20 points, respectively, for the game and the Warriors survived a Phoenix Suns rally to pull away late for a 123-112 victory Monday night in San Francisco.
Thompson finished with a game-high 38 points for the Warriors, who won their eighth straight at home as they prepare to embark on a five-game trip with the hopes of snapping an eight-game road losing streak.
Article continues after this advertisementDevin Booker had a team-high 32 points and Deandre Ayton 27 for the Suns, who were once again without injured Kevin Durant on the front end of a back-to-back. Phoenix will host the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
With Thompson shooting 8-for-12 on 3-pointers before halftime, Golden State led by as much as 25 en route to a 75-58 advantage at the break.
33 points in the first half
Captain Klay ☔️ pic.twitter.com/EZzQ9sFsgu— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 14, 2023
It was almost all gone, however, by the time Chris Paul’s free throw at the 4:32 mark of the third quarter had the Suns within 85-82.
But Phoenix got no closer, with Golden State extending the lead to 10 by the end of the period and then to as many as 17 points as Thompson, after a scoreless third period, was adding his final five points of the night.
Thompson finished 8-for-14 on 3-pointers and 14-for-23 overall for Golden State, which outscored the visitors 57-12 from beyond the arc.
Curry shot 4-for-6 from deep and Poole 4-for-8, helping the Warriors go 19-for-39 en route to their second straight win after three consecutive losses.
Poole also found time for a team-high six assists, while Kevon Looney grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to go with nine points. Draymond Green aided the cause with four points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks.
Ayton and Paul both recorded double-doubles in the loss — Ayton with a game-high 12 rebounds to go with his 27 points, Paul with a game-high 11 assists to complement 11 points.
Josh Okogie also had 11 points for the Suns, who lost their second straight after a four-game winning streak.
