Sizzling Curry
Warriors star’s 41 points push team past Pelicans
Steph Curry erupted for 41 points as the Golden State Warriors stayed on course for the postseason with a 123-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry’s 33rd 30-point game of the season helped the Warriors move to 33-32 to leave the team firmly in the hunt for a Western Conference play-in tournament place.
But the Warriors’ road victory all but extinguished New Orleans’ chances of reaching the playoffs.
The defeat means the Pelicans are now languishing outside the play-in competition places with a 29-36 record, four games adrift of the San Antonio Spurs.
Curry’s latest masterclass in a season that has seen him emerge as a front-runner for NBA Most Valuable Player honours was his ninth 40-point game of the season, and the 47th 40-point game of his career.
“I’m just playing with confidence,” Curry said. “Every game I’m just trying to sustain the intensity, the effort and the focus. “It’s been a fun year and a fun ride but we’ve got a lot left to do. I’m glad I’m playing my part.”
Elsewhere on Monday, the Denver Nuggets clinched their place in the playoffs despite sliding to a 93-89 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets booked their place in the playoffs after the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 123-114.
The Lakers meanwhile halted a three-game losing streak despite the injury absence of LeBron James, ruled out with a sore right ankle just days after returning from his injury layoff.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers scoring with 25 points, also producing a crucial late block after the Nuggets closed to within four points in the final seconds.
In other games, Russell Westbrook laid on a remarkable 24 assists to complete his 32nd triple-double of the season in the Washington Wizards’ 154-141 home defeat of the Indiana Pacers.