Stephen Curry (No 30) of the Golden State Warriors lays up a shot past Eric Bledsoe (No 2) of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. (Getty Images/AFP)
AFP/Phoenix, Arizona
The reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors are rolling like a well-oiled machine, extending their record setting start with a 135-116 rout of the host Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
In what is becoming the status quo for the mighty Warriors, guard Stephen Curry scored 41 points and made nine three-pointers as they stretched their unbeaten streak to start the season to an NBA-record 17 games.
The Warriors had a season-high in points and made a season-high 22 three-pointers and shot 56.8 percent from the field, 57.9 on three-point attempts.
Curry said they are attracting new fans where ever they go.
“It was packed in our section,” Curry said. “Dub Nation is growing by the day. It’s fun to see on the road. Even some ‘Let’s go Warrior’ chants during the game. And we played well to back it up.”
Reserve guard Leandro Barbosa had 21 points and made all five of his three-point attempts for Golden State, who set the NBA record for consecutive wins at the start of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Reigning league MVP Curry drained a season-high nine three-pointers and added eight assists and six rebounds at Talking Stick Resort Arena. He made nine-of-16 three-point attempts.
“A lot of that is based on our ball movement,” Curry said. “We shoot a lot of threes, but we like to shoot a lot of good ones. Ball movement leads to in-rhythm shots. I knew we made a lot.”
Said Phoenix forward Markieff Morris, “They shoot threes like layups.”
Forward Draymond Green finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season, and guard Klay Thompson had 15 points for the Warriors in the win.
Reserve forward T.J. Warren had a career-high 28 or the Suns, who lost their fourth straight and fifth in their last six.
Guard Eric Bledsoe had 21 points and seven assists and Brandon Knight had 21 points and five assists in the loss.
Warriors forward Harrison Barnes left the game with a sprained left ankle with just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter and did not return. Barnes finished with seven points and seven rebounds.
In Denver, Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and Tony Parker added 13 as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets 91-80 to win their fourth game in a row.
The Spurs were without forward Tim Duncan and guard Manu Ginobili who stayed home to rest.
Leonard became the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon on December 12, 1992, to record 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, five blocked shots and four steals in a NBA game.
Denver led by as many as 11 in a first half. James Harden drained a season-high 50 points as the Houston Rockets held on to beat winless Philadelphia 116-114, handing the 76ers their record 27th straight loss on Friday night.
It was the third career 50 point game for Harden, who now has the most in franchise history as he surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone and Elvin Hayes who had two each.
The sad sack Sixers hit another low as they equaled their franchise-worst 0-17 start from last season.
With 27 consecutive losses dating back to March 27, Philadelphia now owns the record for the longest losing streak in North American major professional sports. The NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 26 in row from 1976-77. The Buccaneers went 0-14 in their first season in 1976 and started 0-12 in 1977 before beating New Orleans.
Harden added nine rebounds and eight assists, but also contributed nine turnovers in the win at Toyota Center arena.
“He’s got to be aggressive and he’s got to take what’s there, but we can’t count on him to score 50 points every night and win. That’s just not sustainable,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Harden. “We’ve got to do some things to help him.”
The 76ers fought hard in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to avoid also setting an NBA record with their 27th consecutive loss over multiple
seasons.
“They put themselves in a position where maybe you could steal a win,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said.
