NBA wrap: Curry stars as Warriors stretch winning streak; Nuggets stun Grizzlies
Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 200 three-pointers in seven successive seasons.
Published : Jan 29, 2019 11:50 IST
Stephen Curry scored 26 points as Golden State Warriors stretched the longest winning streak in the league this NBA season to 11 and wrapped up a five-game road trip in style with a 132-100 rout of the Indiana Pacers.
Curry connected on 10 of 13 shots from the field, including six three-pointers and became the first player in NBA history to make 200 three-pointers in seven successive seasons. He did most of the damage in the first half, when his 23 points included eight straight to break a 16-16 tie midway through the first quarter -- a burst that put Warriors on its way.
“Just a really good way to finish it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the convincing end to the road trip. “I was a little worried about this game. Everybody's anxious to get home, but we've finished off the trip the right way. We're in a groove, we're in a good place. We've just got to keep going.”
DeMarcus Cousins added 22 points for the Warriors, shaking off a scary fall in the first quarter, and Kevin Durant added 16 points.
Turner led the Pacers with 16 points, but Indiana dropped its second straight since losing guard Victor Oladipo to a season-ending knee injury.
Nuggets rally
The Denver Nuggets, second in the Western Conference behind the Warriors, erased a 25-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Grizzlies in Memphis 95-92.
Nikola Jokic scored 24 points and drained a go-ahead hook shot with 28.9 seconds to play as the Nuggets became the first team in the league this season to win after trailing by 25 in the second half. Down 17 heading into the final period, the Nuggets forced the Grizzlies into eight straight misses in the final 10 minutes.
Malik Beasley scored 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.
“It's what we do,” Beasley said. “We just stayed together, kept our heads up and kept playing hard. We're the best team in this league to me.”
Celtics cruise
In Boston, the absence of Kyrie Irving was no problem for the Celtics as Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart scored 21 points apiece to lead the Celtics to a 112-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Aron Baynes added 16 points, Marcus Morris scored 15 and Al Horford and Terry Rozier chipped in 14 each for the Celtics, whose 16 blocked shots were a franchise record.
Irving sat out with a sore left hip - possibly the result of a fall in Saturday's loss to the Warriors.
“I don't think it'll be anything long-term,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said before the game. “We'll see after tonight how he feels tomorrow.”
Stevens said it wasn't a tough decision to have Irving sit out a seventh game this season, even with a minor injury, as the team looks to preserve the long-term health of the All-Star point guard. “Especially with a guy that we were going to sit him eight to 12 games anyway, so when he does have nicks and bruises, it makes sense to sit.”
Results Charlotte Hornets 101-92 New York Knicks Golden State Warriors 132-100 Indiana Pacers Boston Celtics 112-104 Brooklyn Nets Denver Nuggets 95-92 Memphis Grizzlies Atlanta Hawks 123-118 Los Angeles Clippers |