For the second straight game, the Warriors turned a halftime deficit into a runaway victory after defeating the Clippers 123-113 on Thursday night.
Golden State scored a season-high 50 points in the third quarter, just the fourth such quarter in franchise history and first since 1989.
Stephen Curry was instrumental in the comeback, scoring 20 of his game-high 35 points in the third frame, and added seven rebounds, five assists and four steals in the contest.
Kevin Durant notched 25 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, while Klay Thompson accounted for 18 points and four helpers.
With the victory, Golden State improves to 48-9 on the season. There’s something about those third quarters.
Golden State entered Thursday’s game having won each of the last nine meetings between the two teams, but it was the Clippers who appeared poised to run away with the game in the first half.
Stephen Curry was engaged from the tip, scoring 13 points in the opening frame, which came to a conclusion with the Warriors holding a 31-24 advantage.
The Clippers scored the final three points of that quarter, however, and began the second frame on a 12-0 run to turn the tables on the Dubs.
James Michael McAdoo finally broke the seal for Golden State with back-to-back dunks to pull within a single point, but they’d go on to trail for the remainder of the first half.
After closing within 44-41 on a Shaun Livingston dunk with 3:59 remaining in the second quarter, Los Angeles responded with a 17-4 burst to put the Warriors in the largest deficit they’d face the entire game.
Golden State would then close the first half with four-straight free throws, but they’d certainly have their work cut out for them in the second half.
The Warriors then came through with perhaps their best single quarter of the season, and not a moment too soon.
Curry drained his second three-pointer of the evening 91 seconds into the third quarter, and that would prove to be a sign of things to come.
After Austin Rivers responded with a three-pointer of his own, the Warriors then ripped off a 13-1 run, tying the score at 67 following consecutive treys from Kevin Durant.
It would remain a single-possession game until Curry broke a 78-78 deadlock with two more three-pointers in a span of 30 seconds to give Golden State a four-point lead with just over three minutes left in the frame.
The Warriors would go on to lead for the remainder of the contest, but not before Curry put the finishing touches on his third-quarter explosion.
He’d account for seven points in the final 30 seconds of the frame, first completing a four-point play before delivering a three-point dagger at the quarter buzzer to give the Warriors a 99-87 lead heading into the fourth.
In total, Golden State outscored Los Angeles 50-26 in the third quarter, despite being called for nine fouls in the period, compared to four for the Clippers.
It was Golden State’s first 50-point third quarter of the season, and the first in the NBA since the Lakers scored 51 against the Knicks on March 25, 2014.
The Dubs tied a franchise record for three-pointers in a single quarter in the process, making nine of their 15 attempts from long range.
The Warriors opened the fourth quarter on a 12-1 run, putting the Clippers in a hole they’d never be able to dig themselves out of.
Klay Thompson sank a 20-foot jumper with 7:18 remaining in regulation to give Golden State their largest lead of the entire night at 117-94.
Then, leading by 19 with less than three minutes left, Steve Kerr pulled the starters and allowed the reserves to finish out the eventual 123-113 victory.
With the win, Golden State improves to 48-9 and sweeps the regular season series with the Clippers for the second-straight year.
The Warriors will round out their current homestand on Saturday against the visiting Brooklyn Nets before heading out on a five-game road trip.
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