OAKLAND, Calif. -- After combining with Stephen Curry to deliver a devastating 1-2 punch to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter Tuesday night, Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson looked forward to adding a knockout blow to the arsenal.

Make no mistake, Thompson insisted. A team on a 12-game winning streak can be even more powerful.

"It's going to be a warm welcome when he comes back," Thompson said of injured teammate Kevin Durant after putting up a Durant-type number -- 41 points -- in Golden State's 121-107 victory. "He does everything for us."

Thompson and Curry did pretty much everything in the third quarter against the Timberwolves, combining for 23 of the 36 points that powered Golden State's pull-away to a comfortable win.

With the victory, the Warriors (64-14) lowered their magic number for clinching the best regular-season record in the NBA to two. They 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 the Memphis Grizzlies earlier in the evening.

"Sure we can," Thompson responded when asked if the Warriors could sustain their high level of play into the upcoming playoffs. "Especially when you add one of the best players in our generation."

That would be Durant, who is tentatively scheduled to return from a sprained knee Saturday night against the New Orleans Pelicans' in the Warriors' third-to-last game of the regular season.

By then, the Warriors might have wrapped up the West's top playoff seeding and home-court advantage throughout the postseason. If that is going to happen Wednesday night, it would require a Golden State win at Phoenix and a Spurs loss at home to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"They're a very dynamic offensive team and a very dynamic defensive team," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said of the Warriors. "Everybody plays to their strengths. They're not trying to do things they can't do. That's why they're so tough."

Thompson scored 14 points in the second quarter before working in tandem with Curry during the third quarter. The Warriors trailed 37-35 in the second minute of the second period.

"We've played together for six seasons. We play off of each other pretty well," Thompson said of his relationship with Curry. "He works very hard. I just want him to know that it's appreciated."

Andrew Wiggins and reserve Shabazz Muhammad had 24 points apiece for Minnesota, which defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 110-109 in Minneapolis the night before. Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points.

Muhammad also was the game's leading rebounder with 11 on Tuesday.

"Bazz played with energy," said Thibodeau, whose team had to endure an early-morning flight into Oakland crossing two time zones following a down-to-the-wire win Monday night. "He was the one guy that I thought had a lot of energy from start to finish. But we needed everyone."

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 have beaten 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.

NOTES: Warriors coach Steve Kerr 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 consecutive 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.