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The Golden State Warriors started a new winning streak Thursday while ending another. |
Stephen Curry had 11 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter with nine assists, and the Warriors stopped the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder’s seven-game winning run, 114-109.
After having their franchise-record 16-game winning streak ended at Memphis on Tuesday, the league-best Warriors (22-3) bounced back to cool off the Thunder who lost superstar Kevin Durant in the second half.
“We came back strong after the 16 game-winning streak was over and protected our home court,” Curry said. Durant had 30 points in 18 minutes, but the reigning MVB left the game with a right ankle sprain just before halftime after stepping on the foot of Marresse Speights on a drive to the basket.
“I wanted to go back go back out there, but we wanted to be cautious,” said Durant, who missed the first 17 games of the season with a foot injury, as X-rays were negative.
Klay Thompson scored 19 points for Golden State, while Draymond Green added 16 with nine rebounds and nine assists.
Russell Westbrook led the Thunder (12-14) with 33 points while Andre Roberson added 10 with 12 rebounds.
Despite losing Durant and a 17-point first-quarter cushion, the Thunder hung tough until the very end as Westbrook and Curry engaged in a shootout in the final minutes. Trailing by eight, Westbrook ran off all his team’s points in an 11-2 run to put the Thunder ahead 105-104 with three minutes left.
But Curry hit the go-ahead jumper and kissed a short runner off the glass around Green’s put-back to give the Warriors a 110-105 lead with 1:39 remaining. After a Reggie Jackson layup brought the Thunder to within 110-107, Curry countered with a layup. Roberson’s basket drew Oklahoma City within three again before Harrison Barnes’ turnaround jumper with 17.3 seconds left sealed the Warriors’ seventh straight home court win. “It was a one possession game even without Kevin in the second half but we battled,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “Tonight’s effort was outstanding. They’re a real tough team to guard but we gave it everything we had.”
Brandon Knight scored 20 points and Zaza Paculia sank the tie-breaking free throw with six seconds left, as the visiting Bucks (14-13) spoiled DeMarcus Cousins’ return after edging the slumping Kings.
Sidelined the last 10 games with viral meningitis since November 26, Cousins had 27 points and 11 rebounds but came up short on a potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer, as the Kings lost their fifth straight, including 0-2 under new coach Tyrone Corbin.
Anthony Davis collected 30 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, and the visiting Pelicans surprised the Rockets to snap a six-game slide in Houston.
Jrue Holiday had 16 points with 10 assists while Ryan Anderson also netted 16 for New Orleans (13-12), which pulled away with a 34-22 fourth quarter.
League top scorer James Harden was held to 21 points while Dwight Howard had 17 and 13 rebounds for Houston (19-6) which had won six of its previous seven games.
Jimmy Butler poured in a career-high 35 points, Spaniard Pau Gasol added 20, and the Bulls sent the depleted Knicks to their 13 loss in the last 14 games. The Bulls (14-9) played without All-Star guard Derrick Rose due to illness while the visiting Knicks were missing their top scorer Carmelo Anthony who is nursing a sore left knee. Tim Hardaway Jr had five triples en route to 23 points for New York (5-22) who also have Cleanthony Early, Iman Shumpert and JR Smith out injured.