Curry explodes for 45 as Warriors annihilate Clippers
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Stephen Curry bombed in five 3-pointers in a personal 25-point, third-quarter explosion, helping the Golden State Warriors run away from the Los Angeles Clippers in a 144-98 victory in the NBA's featured matchup on Chinese New Year.
The All-Star starter, playing at home for the first time since the formal announcement last week, poured in a game-high 43 points, delivering the Warriors (40-7) their eighth consecutive regular-season against their Western Conference rival.
The 46-point margin of victory was the Warriors' biggest of the season. The Clippers, meanwhile, hadn't previously lost by more than 26 this year.
Curry swished a 51-foot buzzer-beater at the end of the second quarter, but his best was yet to come.
He connected on eight of his 11 shots, including five of his eight 3-point attempts in the third quarter, during which the Warriors went for 45 points and ran off to a 117-74 lead.
Despite not playing in the fourth period, Curry recorded his third 40-point game of the season and came within three of his season-high, set in November against New Orleans.
Kevin Durant contributed 23 points and a team-high seven assists, and Klay Thompson had 16 points for the Warriors, who notched their fifth straight home win.
Curry (9-for-15), Durant (3-for-4) and Thompson (2-for-3) combined for 14-for-22 shooting from 3-point range, as the Warriors made half their 34 attempts from beyond the arc as a team.
Curry also found time for a team-high nine rebounds and six assists, helping Golden State gain a 48-32 advantage on the boards and record 30-plus assists for the 31st time this season with 35. The Warriors are now 30-1 when logging 30 or more assists in a game.
Blake Griffin, playing for just the second time since returning from knee surgery, led the Clippers with 20 points.
J.J. Redick added 13 points for Los Angeles (30-18), which hasn't beaten the Warriors in the regular season since Christmas Day in 2014.
The Clippers fell to 1-4 since losing star guard Chris Paul to thumb surgery.
The Warriors gained an immediate upper hand in the game when Griffin drew two early fouls and was pulled in the contest's fifth minute.
Golden State went up by as many as 11 in the quarter, then pulled away with a 41-point second period that featured 5-for-5 shooting on 3-pointers. Curry had two threes in the run, including his curtain-closer on the half from one step beyond half court.
The Warriors led 72-51 at halftime.
NOTES: Warriors PG Stephen Curry had been questionable for the game because of a sore quad, but he passed a pregame test during warmups and was cleared to play. Curry and F Kevin Durant are the only Warriors to have played in all 47 games this season. ... Clippers coach Doc Rivers applauded the selection of defensive and rebounding whiz C DeAndre Jordan to the Western Conference All-Star team. "It's always been ... if you score a lot of points, you get on. If you stop a lot of points, you don't get on," Rivers noted before the game. "There should be more guys like (Jordan) on All-Star teams. They're All-Stars." ... Clippers backup C Marreese Speights made his first return to Oakland after three seasons with the Warriors. "Mo is one of my favorite people that I have ever been around," Warriors coach Steve Kerr gushed at his pregame press briefing. ... Warriors veteran SF Andre Iguodala celebrated his 33rd birthday. One of his nine career triple-double came on his 28th birthday when he recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Detroit.