The Golden State Warriors extended their lead to 3-0 in the Western Conference finals with an emphatic 115-80 victory over the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.
It was a one-sided meeting from the start as Andrew Bogut and Klay Thompson led the charge for the visitors in the first quarter, putting them 12 points up by the end of the opening spell.
Stephen Curry started to dictate the game midway through the second quarter, with the league MVP adding 16 points in a six-minute spell before half time to extend the Warriors' advantage further.
Trailing by 25 at the start of the second half, Houston tried to find a way back into the contest, with James Harden and Dwight Howard adding points early in the third, but Curry and Thompson ensured that Golden State stayed well ahead.
Despite their comfortable lead, the conference's top seeds left their starters in for much of the fourth quarter, allowing Curry to finish the game with 40 points.
The result means that the Warriors will be able to clinch the series when the teams meet again on Monday.
Sian Cowper
