OAKLAND -- With one searing quarter on Sunday, Stephen Curry squelched concerns about his health and lifted the Warriors within two wins of a fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.
With Curry scoring 18 of his game-high 35 points in the third quarter, the Warriors took control en route to a 126-85 thumping of the Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Klay Thompson 13, with Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala adding 10 apiece as the Warriors took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Quinn Cook came off the bench to add 11 points.
The Warriors limited Houston to 40-percent shooting from the field, and 30 percent in the pivotal second quarter.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
All five starters played well, but Curry was devastating and Green was a beast inside and on defense.
Curry’s line: 35 points (13-of-23 shooting from the field, including 5-of-12 from deep, 4-of-4 from the line), six rebounds, one assist and one block. He played 34 minutes and finished plus-24.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Green’s line: 10 points (3-of-9, 1-of-4 from deep, 3-of-3 from the line), 17 rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal. He played 37 minutes and was plus-26.
TURNING POINT:
After Houston took a 22-20 lead with 3:31 remaining in the first quarter on two free throws by Eric Gordon, the Warriors responded with a 13-0 run, taking a 33-22 lead on a Shaun Livingston turnaround jumper with 11:48 left in the second quarter.
The Warriors took a 54-43 lead into intermission and never were threatened after that, pushing it to 64-43 with a 10-0 run out of the half and maintaining a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.
INJURY UPDATE:
Warriors: G Pat McCaw (lumbar spine contusion) was listed as out.
Rockets: No injuries reported.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night. Tipoff at Oracle Arena is set for 6 p.m. PDT. Coverage begins on NBC Sports Bay Area with Warriors Outsiders at 4pm and continues on NBC Sports Bay Area Plus with Warriors Playoff Central at 4;30pm. After the final buzzer, tune back to NBC Sports Bay Area for complete reaction on NBC Sports Bay Area.
| Game | Result/Schedule |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | Warriors 119, Rockets 106 |
| Game 2 | Rockets 127, Warriors 105 |
| Game 3 | Warriors 126, Rockets 85 |
| Game 4 | Oakland -- Tuesday, May 22nd at 6pm |
| Game 5 | Houston -- Thursday, May 24th at 6pm |
| Game 6 | Oakland -- Saturday, May 26th at 6pm |
| Game 7 | Houston -- Monday, May 28th at 6pm |