The Golden State Warriors' playoff magic number is down to three and they will try to inch closer to the postseason Friday night when they visit the Phoenix Suns.
The Warriors are sixth in the Western Conference, just a game ahead of the Houston Rockets.
Golden State is in the midst of a great run. The Warriors have won two in a row, four of five and six of their last eight.
"They're doing a great job of keeping their foot on the gas pedal, running through the rope. I'm awfully proud of them, but we still have a lot of work to do," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said.
On Wednesday, the Warriors handled the New Orleans Hornets 98-88 at Oracle Arena. Golden State turned a nine-point, first-quarter deficit into a nine- point halftime lead thanks to a 32-14 second stanza.
David Lee was sensational on Wednesday with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Steph Curry added 20 points, Jarrett Jack chipped in 19 off the bench and Harrison Barnes netted 10.
Curry and Thompson are closing in on some NBA history. They have combined for 432 made 3-pointers this season and are three short of the record set by Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott of the Orlando Magic during the 1995-96 season.
Curry is within striking distance of the NBA's record for most 3-pointers made in a season. He stands at 240 and is 29 away from Ray Allen's 2005-06 mark of 269 when Allen was with the Seattle Supersonics.
The Suns have been a disaster of late, losing seven straight and 11 of their last 12.
The most recent setback came on Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Clippers pasted the Suns 126-101 at the Staples Center. Phoenix allowed the Clips to shoot 56 percent from the floor and had 21 turnovers of its own, which led to 34 points for L.A.
"We have to do a better job of getting the guys ready to play in the beginning," said interim coach Lindsey Hunter. "To come out and give up fifteen points without them executing one single play is embarrassing. So, that's something we'll get back to square one about."
Wesley Johnson continues to play good basketball. He had 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting against the Clippers and Jermaine O'Neal, Jared Dudley, Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic and Luis Scola all scored in double figures. Scola also pulled down 11 rebounds.
The Warriors have won all three contests this season against Phoenix and five in a row in this series. Golden State has taken two in a row at Phoenix after losing 13 straight visits to the desert.
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