OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors lowered their magic number for clinching the best regular-season record in the NBA to two Tuesday night when Klay Thompson exploded for 41 points in a 121-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
By virtue of winning their 12th game in a row, the Warriors (64-14) were able to retain a 3 1/2-game advantage over San Antonio (60-17) atop the Western Conference despite the fact the Spurs defeated Memphis earlier in the evening.
Thompson had 14 of his 41 points in the second quarter and teamed with backcourt mate Stephen Curry for 23 more in the third as the Warriors, who trailed 37-35 in the second minute of the second period, gradually pulled away from the Timberwolves.
The Warriors will have a chance to wrap up the West’s top playoff seeding, and home-court advantage throughout the postseason, with a win at Phoenix on Wednesday night if the Spurs also lose at home to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Andrew Wiggins and backup Shabazz Muhammad had 24 points apiece for Minnesota, which defeated Portland 110-109 in Minneapolis the night before.
Muhammad also was the game’s leading rebounder with 11.
Thompson’s second 40-point game of the season featured seven 3-pointers in 14 attempts. Golden State shot 43.8 percent from outside the arc.
Curry had three 3-pointers among his 19 points for the Warriors, who beat their opponents by an average of 15.8 points during their 12-game winning streak.
Curry also found time for a game-high nine assists.
The Timberwolves (31-46) shot 42.7 percent for the game, but missed 15 of their 19 3-point attempts in the opener of a six-day, four-game trip.
Karl-Anthony Towns was a third Minnesota player in double figures with 21 points.
NOTES: Warriors coach Steve Kerr acknowledged before the game that SF Kevin Durant (sprained left knee) is on schedule to play in Golden State’s final three games of the regular season, starting with Saturday’s home contest against New Orleans. … Kerr also announced that PF Draymond Green and SF Andre Iguodala would be rested Wednesday night in Phoenix. … Warriors PG Stephen Curry was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday. He shot 52.4 percent from the field and averaged 31.8 points in four straight Golden State wins. It was Curry’s third Player of the Week honor this season. … The win was the Warriors’ 204th in the past three seasons, breaking the Chicago Bulls’ record of 203 set between 1995-96 and 1997-98.