Curry hot in return as Warriors top Lakers
LOS ANGELES: Stephen Curry returned from a sprained ankle to score 31 points and reserve Klay Thompson added 26 to spark Golden State over the Los Angeles Lakers 128-121 in an NBA showdown on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
The Lakers, who lost forward Anthony Davis after the first quarter to a poke in the left eye, squandered a 40-point performance by LeBron James in falling to the Warriors.
“A big win for us,” Curry said. “I don’t know the last time we won in here against them. Big deal.”
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Curry missed Golden State’s past three games and the Warriors are only 1-5 this season without him.
The 36-year-old guard and fourtime NBA champion returned in spectacular fashion, adding six rebounds and five assists while hitting 12-of-24 shots from the floor, and 3-of-10 from 3-point range.
James, who hit 15-of-23 shots, added eight points and nine assists and filled in after Davis went to the locker room after the first quarter and did not play again.
“They always going to talk about me and him,” Curry said of James. “It was about our total group tonight. For us, it takes a whole team to win and we needed it — we needed it bad.”
Draymond Green contributed 12 rebounds and 13 assists and Jonathan Kuminga added 23 points for Golden State.
The game was halted for several minutes near the end by a malfunctioning shot clock.
The Warriors are a percentage point ahead of the Lakers in the last two play-in positions in the Western Conference.
Jalen Williams scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had six assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder grabbed a share of the Western Conference lead by winning 118-112 at Memphis.
The Thunder matched defending NBA champion Denver atop the West at 47-20.
Rookie Chet Holmgren scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points for Oklahoma City.
“We just had to make winning plays down the stretch,” Holmgren said. “It wasn’t going our way the whole game but we came together enough to come away with the win.”
Minnesota moved within a game of the West co-leaders as Anthony Edwards scored 31 points and Mike Conley added 25 in a 119-100 Timberwolves triumph at Utah.
Jalen Brunson fired in 42 points to spark the New York Knicks to a 98-91 victory at Sacramento.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over visiting Charlotte 109-98.
Cameroonian forward Pascal Siakam poured in 28 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to spark host Indiana over the Brooklyn Nets 121-100.
C.J. McCollum scored 30 points and passed off eight assists while Zion Williamson added 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead New Orleans over visiting Portland 126-107.
Jalen Green scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead Houston over visiting Cleveland 117-103, stretching the Rockets’ win streak to five games.