CURRY SCORES 40, LEADS WARRIORS PAST HEAT, 114-97

miami Stephen Curry scored 40 points, and theWarriors defeated the Heat 114-97 on Tuesday night for their sixth consecutive victory.

Golden State scored 14 straight points to open a 107-95 lead with 2:50 to go. Curry and Klay Thompson capped the run with consecutive 3-pointers.

Miami led by 16 in the first half, but Golden State closed the second quarter with a 23-8 surge. Draymond Greenmade two free throws with 9.8 seconds left to cut the Heat’s lead to 62-61 at the break.

Golden State carried the momentum over to the second half. Curry hit three 3-pointers in the third period, and his two free throws with 58.2 seconds remaining put Golden State ahead 89-82. Atlanta reserves Mike Scott and Shelvin Mack led a fourth-quarter surge on a night when starters were struggling, and the Hawks held on to beat the Wizards 106-102. Scott and Mack scored Atlanta’s first 16 points of the fourth quarter, sparking a 22-5 run that built a 14-point lead before theWizards hit a spate of 3-pointers to make the final score close. … Brandon Knight had 20 points and eight assists to lead the Bucks to a 98-86 victory over the Pistons. O.J. Mayo, making his first start of the season, added 17 points. … DeMarcus Cousins had 22 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals, leading the Kings to a 99-89 victory over the Pelicans. Omri Casspi also scored 22 for Sacramento, which has won three in a row. The Associated Press