The Boston Celtics (15-26, 6-13 away) visit the Golden State Warriors (35-6, 20-1 home) on Sunday night at Oracle Arena (8 p.m., CSN). Here's what to watch for:
GAME PREVIEW (via STATS LLC)
While Klay Thompson may have gotten used to playing in Stephen Curry's shadow, he's going to have a hard time staying out of the spotlight going forward.
Thompson looks to build on a once-in-a-lifetime performance as the Golden State Warriors try to extend their franchise-record 18-game home winning streak Sunday night against the Boston Celtics.
Thompson dominated the headlines after putting together the highest-scoring quarter in NBA history, scoring 37 points in the third in Friday's 126-101 win over Sacramento. The fourth-year guard made all 13 shots -- including nine from 3-point range -- and both free throws during those 12 minutes, surpassing the 33-point mark set by George Gervin in 1978 and matched by Carmelo Anthony in 2008.
"I was one of the luckiest NBA players ever to play with Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and some of the greatest players ever," coach Steve Kerr said. "As many spectacular things as Michael did, which he did nightly, I never saw him do that.
"It was reminiscent of Michael because it was sort of otherworldly."
Thompson, who also set the league record for most 3s in a quarter, finished with a career-high 52 points while shooting 16 of 25. He's averaging 22.6 points, just behind Curry's team-leading 22.8.
"It was kind of a blur. I wish I could go back and enjoy it some more, but moments like that go by really fast," said Thompson, who's scored 32.0 points per game over the last five. "You always dream about it, being a big-time scorer and a big-time player. It's crazy it's reality."
NBA-leading Golden State (35-6) is just the 10th team to win at least 35 games by the midway point. It's compiled a 20-1 home record after winning 18 in a row there by an average of 18.9 points.
The Warriors lead the league with 111.1 points per game and 114.8 at home. They are 13-0 against Eastern Conference foes.
That doesn't bode well for the Celtics (15-26), who are seeking a season best-tying third consecutive victory. Boston had dropped 24 consecutive road games against the West before squeaking by Portland 90-89 on Thursday and Denver 100-99 on Friday.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH (via Chris Forsberg)
• Everything they touch turns to gold: The Warriors not only have the best record in basketball and are practically untouchable at home, but they lead the league in defensive rating (96.9 points per 100 possessions) and are third in offensive rating (110.4). That's a staggering net rating of plus-13.4 and the next best teams (Atlanta, Dallas) are way back at plus-7.6. The Warriors are playing at a ridiculous level. Boston needs its best game of the season.
• C's gotta score points: Much of the hype after Thompson's big game will be whether Boston can slow down him (and Curry too). That's an especially daunting task considering rookie Marcus Smart is out due to a death in his family. But the real key for the Celtics is finding a way to put points on the scoreboard. The Warriors are going to get their points; the Celtics need to find a way to keep up against the league's best defense. Boston absolutely has to value each possession.
• Who steps up? The Celtics are down a couple of their most talented young bodies without Smart and Kelly Olynyk (ankle). As will be the theme over the second half of the year, this is a chance against a top-tier opponent for someone to step up. The Celtics have some momentum after two straight wins -- they need to ride it.