Warriors / Oakland
The Warriors improved their winning streak to eight games after defeating the Wizards 134-121 on Wednesday night. Stephen Curry scored a game-high 51 points and tied a career-best with 11 three-pointers. Draymond Green recorded his second consecutive triple-double and 10th of the season with 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, setting the new franchise record for most triple-doubles in a season. Klay Thompson added 24 points, as Golden State totaled 20 three-pointers in the game. With the win, the Warriors improve to 45-4 on the season.
After the Wizards opened up a 5-4 lead, Curry sank a three-pointer, beginning a streak in which he would six consecutive shots, five of which came from three-point range. Following his missed shot, he’d resume his hot streak, making his next three attempts, including a jumper with 2.9 seconds left in the first quarter to put the Warriors up 43-28. In total, Curry scored 25 points in the opening frame, shooting 9-of-10 from the field and 7-of-8 on three-pointers, setting a personal best for most threes in a single quarter.
Curry would sit the opening six-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter, and while he did, the Wizards trimmed Golden State’s lead to single digits at 55-46. But, once the reigning MVP returned to the game, he continued his offensive onslaught. He would immediately score the Warriors’ next two baskets and shoot a perfect 4-of-4 from the field through the remainder of the frame, accounting for 11 more points in the quarter for a total of 36 in the half to pace the Warriors to a 74-60 advantage at halftime. John Wall kept Washington in the game with 20 points of his own, and the Wizards would build off that effort to encroach further upon Golden State’s lead in the third quarter.
Washington opened the second half on a tear, going on a 17-5 run in the first four minutes to pull within 79-77. Another 5-0 spurt would cut the deficit to 87-84 with 3:52 left in the frame, but that’s as close as the Wizards would get for the duration of the game. The Warriors would immediately respond with a 10-0 run of their own to rebuild their lead to double-digits, and Leandro Barbosa’s jumper with 3.4 seconds remaining sent the game into the fourth quarter with the Warriors leading 103-92.
The Wizards would trail by the same 11-point deficit after Klay Thompson made a three-pointer to put the Dubs up 114-103 with 7:33 left to play, as the Warriors managed to stave off Washington’s comeback attempt. Every time the Wizards would make a small run, the Warriors would quell their momentum with a clutch basket, and Washington never got closer than within seven points the rest of the way. Curry would score the final two of his 51 points with 2:35 remaining in the game, and the Warriors would coast the rest of the way to a 134-121 road victory. With the win, Golden State improves to 45-4 on the season. They’ll bring their current eight-game winning streak back to the Bay Area and put it on the line in their next game on Saturday against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.
