Warriors 116, Thunder 108
OAKLAND -- Guard Klay Thompson hit a key 3-pointer with 1:40 remaining as the Golden State Warriors erased an nine-point deficit, blew a 20-point lead and outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-108 Saturday night at Oracle Arena.
Thompson finished with 18 points on 8 of 15 shooting but was just 1 of 6 on 3-pointers. His only connection seemed to make the deficit just too much for the Thunder (38-14), giving the Warriors a 110-104 lead and coming 19 seconds after forward Kevin Durant missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Guard Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 26 points despite missing seven of eight 3-pointers. He made 10 of 25 shots overall and also handed out 10 assists
Durant led the Thunder with 40 points and point guard Russell Westbrook added 27. Westbrook also had 12 assists but did not come close to another triple-double, finishing with only three rebounds.
Before Thompson's clutch 3-pointer, Oklahoma City Enes Kanter tied the game at 104-104 with 3:25 on a fadeway but the Warriors (46-4) finished with a 12-4 run and notched their 41st straight home victory.
Forward Harrison Barnes added 19 points for Golden State while reserves Marreese Speights added 15 and Shaun Livingston had 10. The Warriors' reserves outscored Oklahoma City's second unit 42-17.
The Thunder had just two first-half bench points compared to the Warriors 23. And it was a crucial second quarter that saw the Warriors claim a 20-point lead at 60-40 when Speights hit a free throw before Curry hit a jumper in the final seconds for a 73-59 halftime lead.
Oklahoma City chipped away at that lead via the free-throw line. The Thunder connected on 29 of 37 free throws with Durant going 13 of 13 from the line.
NOTES: On recent rumors that Thunder F Kevin Durant might join the Warriors after this season, Golden State coach Steve Kerr said: "I don't know why anybody would talk about anything but the fact we're 45-4." ... This was the first game of the season between the Warriors and Thunder. The Warriors took three of four from Oklahoma City a year ago. ... Thunder G Anthony Morrow played his first two seasons with the Warriors (2008-10). He led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage with 47.8 his rookie year -- the first rookie to do so in NBA history. He averaged 16.6 points per game as a rookie and 14.3 points his second year. He's also played for the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks. ... This is the fifth time that an NBA team in the Super Bowl market hosted a game on the Saturday before the Super Bowl.