Steph Curry had a historic night as the Golden State Warriors extended their winning streak in the NBA. The San Francisco team defeated the Miami Heat 120-100 to win their sixth consecutive game after opening the season with three straight losses.
Curry finished with 29 points, six made three-pointers, four rebounds and one steal. He struggled at the start of the game, making his first field goal only on his eighth attempt. After halftime, however, the guard scored 22 points and helped the hosts take control of the game.
With his six three-pointers, Curry became the first player in NBA history aged 38 or older to record four consecutive games with at least five made three-pointers. He made nine shots from 19 attempts and missed the chance to reach 30 points for a fourth straight game, as he remained on the bench late in the decided contest.
Golden State decided the game after halftime
Miami started better and took a 14-4 lead early in the game. The score remained close until the end of the first half, with the two teams heading into the break tied at 53-53.
The Warriors made the decisive run in the third quarter. The hosts won the period 26-9, while Curry made three three-pointers and scored 14 points in that stretch. Golden State maintained a double-digit lead until the final buzzer.
„Three-point defense is high on our list of priorities“, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told The Associated Press. Nevertheless, the Warriors made 16 of 41 attempts from beyond the arc.
Curry moved ahead of Oscar Robertson
With his first three-pointer of the game, Curry moved ahead of Oscar Robertson and climbed to 17th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He surpassed the 26,710 points Robertson scored in the regular season.
Yaxel Lendeborg added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the winners, while Draymond Green recorded 11 assists, a season high for him. Georges Niang contributed 13 points off the bench.
For Miami, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, Davion Mitchell recorded 22 points and eight assists, and Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Klay Thompson scored 11 points in his return to San Francisco as a Heat player, while Andrew Wiggins was held to two points against his former team.
Golden State will host the Orlando Magic in their next game.
Sources: cbssports.com, washingtonpost.com, nba.com