Warriors rally after Curry goes down
Westbrook leads OKC in blowout; Celtics win in Irving’s return
OAKLAND, Calif. — Steve Kerr chuckled not about Stephen Curry’s latest ankle trouble but just how good the Golden State Warriors can be without their two-time MVP.
“We still have three All-Stars when Steph goes down,” Kerr said. “We still have a lot of talent.”
Kevin Durant had 37 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots and almost single-handedly led the undermanned defending champions’ fourth-quarter rally past the San Antonio Spurs for a 110-107 win Thursday night after Curry went down early.
Durant hit his third straight jumper to tie it with 2:01 remaining before the Warriors went ahead on Draymond Green’s putback the following possession. Klay Thompson made two free throws with 15.9 seconds left.
Bryn Forbes’ 3-point try from the top to tie it hit the front rim as the final buzzer sounded.
“I felt good shooting the midrange as always,” Durant said. “I tried to press go and shoot every time, not bad shots.”
Green had his third triple-double this season with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Curry was lost for the night to a rolled right ankle early in the first quarter, but the Warriors responded without him to win their seventh straight since the All-Star break.
Curry tweaked his troublesome right ankle driving left for a layup at the 9:38 mark of the first quarter with two Spurs around him. He limped into the tunnel grimacing in pain and frustration, then initially stayed in the game to shoot free throws before heading to the locker room.
Curry missed 11 games in December with ankle troubles and tweaked the right ankle last Friday at Atlanta. He won’t play Saturday at Portland. Kerr is more concerned about health than the No. 1 seed now.
“We’ll get Steph healthy. We’ve proven we can win without him,” Kerr said.
CELTICS 117, TIMBERWOLVES 109: In Minneapolis, Kyrie Irving returned from a one-game absence to help Boston fend off Minnesota, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to pace the Celtics in a 117-109 victory over the Timberwolves on Thursday night.
Al Horford added 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and tough defense on Karl-Anthony Towns for the Celtics, who stayed two games behind Toronto in the Eastern Conference race with their sixth win in seven games.
Nemanja Bjelica scored a career-high 30 points on 11-for-16 shooting, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range. His first 20-10 game in the NBA was ultimately wasted in the third straight loss for the Timberwolves.
Marcus Morris added 17 points for the Celtics, whose victory was tempered a bit by the hard landing Jaylen Brown took on his back after a dunk late in the third quarter. He left with 14 points for evaluation of concussion-like symptoms. THUNDER 115, SUNS 87: In Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook had 27 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to help Oklahoma City rout Phoenix.
Paul George added 21 points, and Corey Brewer had 17. HEAT 108, 76ERS 99: In Miami, Hassan Whiteside scored 26 points, Dwyane Wade added 16 and Miami beat Philadelphia to move a step closer to the playoffs.
Josh Richardson scored 13 points, Tyler Johnson had 12 and Kelly Olynyk added 10 to help the Heat stay No. 7 in the Eastern Conference and move within a game of No. 6 Philadelphia.
NETS 125, HORNETS 111: In Charlotte, N.C., Allen Crabbe made his first six 3-point attempts and finished with 29 points and eight rebounds, helping Brooklyn beat Charlotte to snap a four-game losing streak.
Caris Levert scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 18 points to provide a spark off the bench for the Nets.