Thompson, Curry lead Warriors past Bucks
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors successfully avenged their only loss of the season Friday night.
But they weren't happy with the way it went down.
Andre Iguodala capped a late seven-point run with a 3-pointer as the Warriors overcame a sloppy defensive effort to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 121-112.
Shooting guard Klay Thompson had a game-high 27 points and backcourt mate Stephen Curry added 26 as the Warriors (26-1), who saw a 24-game, season-opening winning streak end in a 108-95 defeat at Milwaukee last Saturday, recorded their 30th consecutive home victory dating back to last season.
The Warriors had vowed to get revenge leading into the rematch, yet emotional leader Draymond Green wasn't happy with the effort.
"I'm not satisfied; I expected better," assured Green, who contributed 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to the win. "Winning is great, but there's a way to win. Maybe the last 16 minutes is the way to win. But we're not going to beat the great teams playing like that."
The win was Golden State's 12th straight at home this season, matching the best home start in franchise history, established initially by the defending league champs in 1975-76.
It certainly didn't come easy.
The score was tied at 108-all before Curry scored on a drive with 2:16 to play and added two free throws 20 seconds later.
Iguodala then bombed in his 3-pointer from the left corner, giving the Warriors their biggest lead of the game to that point, 115-108, with 1:21 to go.
The Warriors were able to hold on from there despite being held to 9-for-26 on their trademark 3-point shooting.
"We were very public about the fact that we wanted to get revenge, but then we didn't come out and play with that edge and that mentality," Warriors interim coach Luke Walton said after watching his club fall behind by as many as 13 while allowing 70 points in the first half. "They (the Bucks) came out and wanted a piece of the champs, and we weren't fighting back."
The evening nearly ended in a fight, however, when Green and Bucks reserve guard O.J. Mayo exchanged words near the Golden State bench as the teams exited the court.
Green was clearly disturbed by the mostly verbal run-in, later insisting, "No man is going to touch my head."
Mayo, one of seven Bucks who scored in double figures with 12 points, countered, "They're world champs and we played them well tonight."
Point guard Michael Carter-Williams had 24 points for the Bucks, who led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before suffering the fifth loss in their last six games.
"It was good to see the guys compete on the road," Bucks coach Jason Kidd praised. "There was a lot of talk outside of the court and I thought the young guys were doing a really good job of handling the atmosphere and competing. They put themselves in a position to win the game, just came up short."
The Bucks held a 100-89 advantage in the fifth minute of the fourth quarter before the Warriors rallied.
Green scored eight consecutive points on a three-point play, a layup and a 3-pointer, and Curry made all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot in an 11-point flurry that produced a 100-100 tie with 6:08 to go.
The Warriors took their first lead since the first quarter, 103-102, on a dunk by center Festus Ezeli with 5:01 left.
The Bucks managed three subsequent ties, the last at 108-all with 2:28 to go on an interior hoop by center Greg Monroe, before the decisive seven-point Warriors run that gave them command.
"We needed to pick it up on the defensive end," Green said after Golden State held the Bucks to 19 points in the fourth quarter. "We know when we get stops and push the ball, they couldn't keep up."
Curry, outplayed much of the night by Carter-Williams, had 10 rebounds and nine assists to go with his 26 points, and Ezeli contributed a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Warriors, who were playing for the second time on a five-game homestand.
Small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo backed Carter-Williams with 20 points for Milwaukee, which had lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers earlier in the week to begin a four-game Western swing.
Seven Bucks scored in double figures, including Monroe, who had a second consecutive double-double against the Warriors with 10 points and 13 rebounds to go with seven assists.
NOTES: Former Warriors starter SF Sonny Parker was in attendance to see his son PF Jabari score 14 points for the Bucks. … Bucks C Greg Monroe was given the thumbs-up to return from a two-game absence after testing his sore left knee about an hour before the game. ... Warriors C Andrew Bogut strained his back in the first quarter and did not play after the sixth minute of the game. … The Warriors topped 100 points for the 46th consecutive time at home. They've scored 100 or more in every game this season except the 108-95 loss at Milwaukee last week. … Yahoo Sports reported Thursday that Bucks coach Jason Kidd and general manager John Hammond met with free-agent big man Carlos Boozer in Los Angeles while their club was in town to face the Lakers and Clippers earlier this week.