Warriors 117, Pacers 102

OAKLAND, Calif. — Klay Thompson scored 12 of his 40 points in the first 4:31 of the fourth quarter, helping the Golden State Warriors break open a close game en route to a 117-102 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

Playing their fourth road game in six nights, the Pacers (14-23) went the final 42 minutes without center Roy Hibbert, who sprained his left ankle in the first quarter.

Hibbert had to be helped to the locker room after the incident under the Pacers’ basket, but was able to walk to the Indiana bench to watch the second half, which began with the score tied at 50-50.

In winning for the 13th consecutive time, the Warriors led just 84-76 before Thompson triggered the runaway in the fourth period. He had a pair of 3-pointers, a driving hoop and four free throws in a 14-8 Warriors run that opened a 14-point cushion.

The Pacers got no closer than nine the rest of the way.

Thompson’s 40 points fell just one shy of his career best of 41. He hit 14 of 25 from the field, including six of 11 from 3-point range.

Backcourt mate Stephen Curry chipped in with 21 points and 15 assists for the Warriors (28-5), who improved to 5-0 on their current six-game homestand. Golden State hosts Cleveland on Friday night.

Curry’s point total included four 3-pointers, the first of which was the 1,000th of his NBA career.

It took him just 369 games to reach the milestone, the fastest in league history. Previously, Dennis Scott, in 457 games, had been the fastest to 1,000.

Center Marreese Speights added 18 points to the win, which kept the Warriors unbeaten against the Eastern Conference.

Golden State also welcomed back center Andrew Bogut from a 12-game absence caused by a knee injury. The veteran had four points and eight rebounds in 14 minutes.

Small forward Solomon Hill had 21 points for the Pacers, who completed a 2-2 trip that includes wins at Milwaukee and Utah.

Power forward David West finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Pacers, who had six players score in double figures.

Even with Hibbert contributing just one rebound in his six minutes, the Pacers outrebounded the Warriors 41-39, with backup forward Lavoy Allen leading the way with nine.

Hibbert finished with two points.

After never leading by more than four in a tight first half, the Warriors exploded out of the gates in the third quarter, scoring the half’s first 10 points to go up 60-50. Thompson scored eight of the 10 points, six on a pair of 3-pointers.

But the Pacers wouldn’t go away. They rallied within 69-68 with 4:28 remaining in the quarter before once again falling victim to Thompson, who produced an 84-76 advantage by scoring the final five points of the period.

The Warriors trailed by as many as 11 in the first half before rallying behind 3-point shooting into a 50-50 halftime tie. Curry hit a pair of 3s and Thompson and backup Justin Holiday combined for two others in a 19-8, half-closing run that produced the tie.

The Warriors had made only two 3s in the first 18 minutes before the late flurry.

NOTES: The Warriors went 9-3 in their 12 games while C Andrew Bogut was out with a knee injury. … Asked before the game what it meant to be No. 1 in some NBA power rankings, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, “You get the target on your back. That’s good. That should sharpen us and make us better since we are getting (opponents’) best shots.” … Even with a 14-22 record, the Pacers began the day a win from tying Miami (15-20) for the eighth-most victories in the Eastern Conference. … Pacers coach Frank Vogel disclosed before the game that even though injured SF Paul George (broken leg) has begun jogging, it’s “still very unlikely” he will play this season.