The Golden State Warriors lost MVP Stephen Curry to injury for the second time this series, but they used a dominant third quarter to turn a close game into a 121-94 blowout win over the Houston Rockets.
Both sides traded leads in the first half as neither team was able to gain an advantage in the first 24 minutes, and the game went into halftime tied 56-56. However, the big news came just seconds before the break as Curry suffered a sprained knee on this awkward fall:
Steph Curry injured before halftime pic.twitter.com/8lYCbiY4pj
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 24, 2016
After testing the knee in warmups prior to the second half, he decided he couldn't go and was ruled out for the rest of the game. However, his teammates rose to the occasion.
Golden State outscored the Rockets 41-20 in the third quarter to turn this into a laugher, using remarkable long-range shooting to break the game open. The Warriors made 21 threes in this game, setting the NBA record for most made three-pointers in a playoff game.
Klay Thompson led the Way for Golden State with 23 points, while Andre Iguodala added another 22 off the bench. Draymond Green also played a big role with 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
Curry had just six points on 2/9 shooting (1/7 from three) before leaving with the injury.
James Harden has another huge night for Houston, scoring 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds, seven assists, and seven steals. Dwight Howard (19 points, 15 rebounds) and Michael Beasley (17 points off bench) also played well, but those three didn't get any help from anyone else.
The Warriors can clinch the series in Game 5 on Wednesday. Tip off is set for 10:30 pm ET on TNT.
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