Curry scores 24 in return; Warriors hold off Raptors
TORONTO – Stephen Curry returned from a twogame absence to score 24 points, Klay Thompson had 26 and the Golden State Warriors blew nearly all of a 27-point lead before beating the Toronto Raptors 127-125 on Saturday night.
DeMar DeRozan scored 42 points for the Raptors, but the Warriors had just enough to beat Toronto for the eighth straight time.
Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Draymond Green had 14 for the Warriors, who have won 12 straight on the road. Golden State’s 19 road wins are the most in the NBA.
OG Anunoby had 17 points and Serge Ibaka 14 for the Raptors, who rallied from a 19-point deficit through three quarters to make it a one-point game in the fourth.
In San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points in his return from a three-game absence, Davis Bertans had 18 and San Antonio never trailed in a 112-80 victory over Denver.
San Antonio won its 14th straight at the AT&T Center, improving the league’s best home record to 19-2.
The Spurs’ projected starting lineup of Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker and Danny Green played together for only the sixth game this season and just the second time at home.
Leonard played 28 minutes after sitting out the previous three games with a strained left shoulder.
Green had 11 points in his return from a 10-game absence due to tightness in his left groin.
Nikola Jokic had 23 points and nine rebounds for Denver, which has lost 10 straight in San Antonio.
In Charlotte, Russell Westbrook had 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Oklahoma City beat Charlotte, 10191, to snap a three-game losing streak.
Paul George added 17 points and Steven Adams had 14 rebounds and 11 rebounds as the Thunder avenged a loss earlier this season to the Hornets.
Oklahoma City trailed by three entering the fourth quarter, but its bench helped open a double-digit lead as Charlotte shot 5 of 21 from the field over the final 12 minutes. The Thunder attempted 97 shots as they dominated the offensive glass.
All-Star point guard Kemba Walker had several shots blocked on drives to the basket and finished 5 of 17 from the field. He still led the Hornets with 19 points, while Dwight Howard added 11 points and 17 rebounds.
In other NBA games it was Bulls 107, Pistons 105; Wizards 119, Nets 113 in OT; Clippers 126, Kings 105; Lakers 107, Mavericks 101 in OT.