Thompson returns in style as Warriors blitz Nuggets
Rockets, Toronto among day’s other winners in NBA action
Los Angeles: Klay Thompson roared back into action for Golden State on Friday, leading the Warriors to a 122-105 win over the Denver Nuggets in a marquee showdown between the two best teams in the NBA’s Western Conference.
The Warriors were looking to rebound from their worst loss of the season — a humiliating 128-95 drubbing at home on Tuesday by the Boston Celtics — and they got the job done.
Thompson, who had missed two games with a sore knee, delivered a game-high 39 points, scoring 27 of them in the first half. He drained nine three-pointers overall. Kevin Durant added 26 points and six assists, Stephen Curry scored 17 points and DeMarcus Cousins finished with 13 points and six blocked shots for the two-time defending NBA champions.
Elsewhere, James Harden racked up 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets stretched their winning streak to a season-best seven games by beating the Philadelphia 76ers, 107-91.
In Louisiana, Raptors star Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and Kyle Lowry had a triple double with 13 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds as Toronto used a second-half surge to rout the New Orleans Pelicans, 127-104. Pascal Siakam scored 19 points and Jeremy Lin had 14 in the win.
In Florida, veteran guard Dwyane Wade sparked a third-quarter rally and the Miami Heat scored 10 straight in the final quarter to pull out a 126-110 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.