Steph Curry may have been surprised to not feature more in the Minnesota Timberwolves defeat but Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr insists his side will not solely rely on their star.

That message from Kerr was clear after Sunday's 114-110 loss to the Timberwolves, with the Golden State chief prioritising Curry's fitness over chasing results.

Curry scored 31 points on 9-of-21 shooting in his 30 minutes, including five 3-pointers, despite sitting out 11 straight minutes between the end of the third quarter and the closing stages of the fourth.

"I want to play as many minutes as I'm fresh and able to, so I'm a little bit [surprised] knowing that they were going on a run," said Curry.

Curry acknowledged "our lead was withering away" as the Warriors man was removed with four third-quarter minutes left and not introduced until just over six final minutes remained.

Kerr refuted suggestions Curry should have been reinstated sooner, though, pointing to the fitness load already on his strained shoulders.

"We can't expect to just ride Steph game after game after game," Kerr said. "We've put the burden of this franchise on his shoulders for 15 years.

"We can't expect him to play 35 minutes ... If you want to say that him playing 30 minutes instead of 32 is a difference between a win and a loss, I totally disagree with that.

"We're trying to win the game. And we're trying to keep him fresh, too."

Unlike the Timberwolves defeat, Curry played the entirety of the fourth quarter and 35 minutes overall in Friday's 123-11 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"I played the whole fourth quarter against Indiana and it didn't work out, this didn't work out [against Minnesota]. We've got to find somewhere in the middle," Curry added.

"The situation will define itself in real-time. Every game matters as we're inching closer to the other end of the standings we never thought we would be in.

"No one is going to wave the white flag and say we are mailing it in. If that means playing more minutes, I'll be ready to do that."

The Warriors are just one game up on the in-form Houston Rockets, hanging on to the no.10 seed in the Western Conference by a slight margin.

Curry had earlier stated there remains no concern as to where Golden State finish in the standings, so long as the Warriors develop a winning habit to regain form for the postseason.

"What Steph is saying is if we don't build the habits, it doesn't matter," Kerr clarified as the final 12 games loom.

"You make the play-in, you don't, if you don't have the habits you're not going anywhere."

Stephen Curry scored 31 points in his return and the Golden State Warriors overcame LeBron James’ 40 points and 13 rebounds in a 128-121 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Curry was 12 of 24 from the field and had six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes after missing three games due to a sprained right ankle.

Klay Thompson scored 26 points, Jonathan Kuminga had 23 and Draymond Green added six points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists after he missed the last game due to back soreness.

D’Angelo Russell tallied 23 points and 13 assists for the Lakers, who played the final three quarters without Anthony Davis, who suffered an eye injury.

Golden State inched ahead of Los Angeles by a percentage point into ninth place in the West after winning a game that dragged to the finish because of a pair of replay reviews and a malfunctioning clock.

 

Brunson’s big game lifts Knicks

Jalen Brunson scored 42 points for his second straight 40-plus effort and the New York Knicks pulled out a 98-91 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Brunson, who had 45 points in Thursday’s win at Portland, registered his seventh 40-point game of the season. He’s the first Knicks player to reach that total in consecutive games since Carmelo Anthony on Feb. 19 and 21, 2014.

Brunson joins Hall of Famers Bernard King and Patrick Ewing as the only other Knicks to score 40 in back-to-back games.

Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 14 rebounds for his 49th straight double-double but Sacramento lost for the second time in six games.

 

Streaking Rockets down Cavaliers

Jalen Green had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Jabari Smith Jr. added 20 points to lead the Houston Rockets to their fifth straight win, 117-103 over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Amen Thompson scored 18 points and Fred VanVleet contributed 13 points and 16 assists for the Rockets, who have won seven of eight to stay in contention for a play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Caris LeVert scored 21 points and Donovan Mitchell added 13 in his second game back from a seven-game absence. Mitchell appeared to sustain a bloody nose in the second half and sat for much of the fourth quarter.

The Cavs dropped their third in four games and fell one game behind Milwaukee for second place in the Eastern Conference.  

The Golden State Warriors appear to have avoided a major injury to Stephen Curry, as ESPN reported Friday that an MRI on the two-time NBA MVP's right ankle showed no structural damage.

Curry, who was injured in the fourth quarter of Golden State's 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, is still likely to miss a few games but is not expected to be facing an overly lengthy absence. According to ESPN, the Warriors will have a better idea on the star guard's return timeline as his ankle responds to treatment over the next few days.

Though the Warriors currently reside in ninth place in the Western Conference, their 12-4 record since Feb. 5 is the best among teams in the West and they trail the sixth-place Phoenix Suns by just 3 1/2 games. The top six teams are guaranteed to avoid the play-in round and earn a spot in the conference quarter-finals for the upcoming play-offs.

Curry has stayed mostly healthy this season and is in the midst of another standout campaign, as the 10-time All-Star leads the NBA in 3-point field goals made (290) while averaging a team-leading 26.9 points in 59 games. The Warriors have lost all three games he's missed this season.

The 36-year-old does have a history of issues with his right ankle, however, including two surgeries he underwent in 2011 and 2012.

"I know we're going to miss him if he does have time off,” teammate Klay Thompson said following Thursday's game. “We've been in his position before where he has had time off and we've just got to do it collectively. I know he'll be ready to go when he does come back, whenever that is. We just want to wish him a speedy recovery and to take his time.”

Golden State will play three games in five days beginning with Saturday's home matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. The Warriors then visit San Antonio on Monday before another road game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. 

Stephen Curry scored 29 points with six 3-pointers and the Golden State Warriors dominated the fourth quarter on Wednesday to end the Milwaukee Bucks’ six-game winning streak, 125-90.

Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points and Trayce Jackson-Davis had 15 with seven rebounds off the bench to help the Warriors rebound from Sunday’s 52-point loss at Boston and improve to 12-3 in their last 15 games.

Golden State matched a season low with 15 points in the third quarter but outscored Milwaukee 32-9 in the fourth.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 23 points and Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis each added 20. The Bucks have lost their last four visits to Golden State.

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins returned from a four-game absence to deal with a family matter and scored three points in 14 minutes.

 

Fox, Sabonis power Kings past Lakers

De’Aaron Fox matched his career high with 44 points and Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double as the Sacramento Kings topped the Los Angeles Lakers, 130-120.

Fox shot 18 of 31 from the field and reached 40 points for the seventh time this season, fourth-most in the NBA.

Sabonis had 16 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists for his fourth triple-double in seven games. He leads the league with 22 triple-doubles, the sixth player in league history with that many in a season.

LeBron James had 31 points and 13 assists and Rui Hachimura added 29 for the Lakers, who had won three of four.

 

Magic rally past lowly Wizards

Franz Wagner scored 28 points and the surging Orlando Magic erased a 21-point deficit to send the Washington Wizards to their franchise record-tying 16th straight loss, 119-109.

Paolo Banchero had 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and Jalen Suggs added 19 points for Orlando, which has won five straight and eight of nine to move a season-best 11 games over .500.

The Magic’s comeback was their largest of the season and the sixth-largest deficit overcome to win in franchise history.

Jordan Poole scored 26 points for the league-worst Wizards, who haven’t won since Jan. 29 and last won a home game on Dec. 29.

Stephen Curry lamented a "perfect storm" as the Golden State Warriors were on the end of a 140-88 defeat to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

The loss at TD Garden was the fourth-worst the Warriors, who entered the contest in good form, have suffered in franchise history.

It marks the third time this season the Celtics have won by 50 points or more, meanwhile, as they racked up an 11th victory in a row.

"The way that they've been playing, they seem very sure of themselves in their identity and who they are," Curry said. "Give them credit. 

"They came out and whooped us from the jump, and it was a perfect storm of a rough [day] on our end and them taking it to us."

Curry played despite being questionable, but he did not feature in the second half as he finished with a season-low tally of four points.

The Warriors will hope to have Curry back to full fitness for their return to action against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

"This was not a day off for Steph, though he probably could have used one," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.

"He's played so well and for so long this year. Hopefully the next few days he'll get it recharged."

Jaylen Brown led the scoring with 29 points, while birthday boy Jayson Tatum had 26 in the Celtics' third-biggest victory in franchise history.

Boston led by a franchise-record 44 points at the midway point and went on to extend their advantage to 51 before making some changes.

"It feels great, but, at the same time, it's always within humility," Brown said. "We don't take the game for granted. 

"We didn't come and mess around and that's just how we show our respect to the game, we handle business and take care of it.

"It's a lot of respect for the Golden State Warriors, but we feel like it's our time now."

The 48-12 Celtics lead the Eastern Conference, while the Warriors are ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 32-28. 

Jayson Tatum scored 32 points and the Boston Celtics overcame Luka Dončić’s second straight triple-double in a 138-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks for their 10th consecutive win on Friday.

Jaylen Brown had 25 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 24 as seven Celtics scored in double figures.

Doncic had 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his 12th triple-double of the season and 68th of his career.

NBA-leading Boston knocked down 21 3-pointers and shot 55.3 percent (52-of-94) from the field to remain unbeaten since a loss to the Lakers on Feb. 1.

The 10-game streak is the longest for the Celtics since a 10-game run during the 2019-20 season.

Kyrie Irving scored 19 points against his former team but shot 9 of 23 as Dallas lost for the third time in four games.

Antetokounmpo powers streaking Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 46 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls 113-97 for their fifth consecutive win.

Antetokoumpo shot 16 of 22 from the field, made 2 of 3 from long range and sank 12 of 16 free throws in his eighth 40-plus point game this season.

Patrick Beverley scored 14 points and Brook Lopez added 12 for the Bucks, who improved to 8-7 under Doc Rivers and moved into a virtual tie with Cleveland for first place in the Central Division.

Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan became the 35th player in NBA history to accumulate 23,000 points. He scored 12 points – all but two in the second half – and was 5 of 13 from the field after missing his first six shots.

Coby White led the Bulls with 22 points and Nikola Vucevic added 17 with nine rebounds.

Warriors win again on road

Stephen Curry scored 25 points and Jonathan Kuminga added 24 to lead the Golden State Warriors to their eighth straight road win, 120-105 over the Toronto Raptors, who lost All-Star Scottie Barnes.

Moses Moody had 17 points and Klay Thompson was next with 14 as the Warriors won their third straight and 13th in 15 games.

Barnes broke his left middle finger late in the first half and the Raptors said he would be out indefinitely. He had 10 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes, ending a career-best streak of five consecutive double-doubles.

Golden State overcame some troublesome travel after it had to switch planes following Thursday night’s win over New York. The Warriors endured a long wait on the tarmac, finally arriving at its Toronto hotel shortly after 7 a.m. Friday morning.

One game after going without a point in the first half, Stephen Curry had nine points before the New York Knicks even scored.

Curry finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds and the Golden State Warriors rode a fast start for a 110-99 win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

The Warriors scored the game’s first 14 points, as the Knicks missed their first nine shots until Donte DiVincenzo converted a layup with 6:35 left in the opening quarter. By that time Curry already had nine points.

After failing to score in the first half in Tuesday's win over the Washington Wizards, Curry opened the scoring at MSG with a 27-foot 3-pointer 20 seconds after the opening tip. He finished 8-of-18 from 3-point range.

 

Jonathan Kuminga had 25 points and Klay Thompson had 16 points off the bench for the Warriors, who pushed their road winning streak to seven games. This is their longest road winning streak since reeling off 11 in a row in the 2018-19 season.

Overall, Golden State (31-27) has won 12 of 15 games following a 4-10 stretch.

New York (35-25), meanwhile, wrapped up a 4-8 February after going an NBA-best 14-2 in January.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 27 points and DiVincenzo added 16, though he missed 15 of his 21 shot attempts.

As a team, New York shot 36.8 per cent - its worst shooting performance since shooting a season-worst 34.8 per cent in a 117-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 20.

 

Wembanyama stuffs stat sheet as Spurs beat Thunder

Victor Wembanyama recorded a stat line that had never been seen in an NBA game in the San Antonio Spurs' 132-118 win over Oklahoma City, ending the Thunder's six-game winning streak.

The rookie sensation finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, five blocked shots and five 3-pointers.

He is the first player in NBA history with at least 10 boards, five assists, five blocks and five made 3s in a game.

Wembanyama won the battle of first-year big men, coming up with a huge block of Chet Holmgren in the final minutes.

 

Although the Spurs (12-48) have the worst record in the Western Conference, they beat a Thunder team that was hoping to move into a tie with the Timberwolves atop the conference.

Oklahoma City (41-18) had won its last six games by an average of 20.2 points, but shot just 29.0 per cent from 3-point range (9 for 31).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 31 points, while Jalen Williams scored 26 and Holmgren added 23.

Devin Vassell had 28 points and nine assists for the Spurs, who were playing in San Antonio for the first time since February 3 following a 1-8 road swing.

 

Nuggets hold on to beat Heat in NBA Finals rematch

Meeting for the first time since Denver captured the franchise's first NBA title last June, the Nuggets held on for a 103-97 win over the Miami Heat.

The Nuggets looked like they were going to win easily, leading by 16 in the fourth quarter, but the Heat pulled within 99-97 on Jimmy Butler's floating bank shot with 11 seconds to play.

The Heat would get no closer, however, as Denver (41-19) improved to 5-0 since the All-Star break and moved within 1 1/2 games of the Timberwolves for the best record in the West.

 

Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and 11 rebounds, while Nikola Jokic had 18 points, 11 boards and seven assists.

Denver overcame an injury to Jamal Murray, who sprained his right ankle when he landed on Aaron Gordon's leg just before half-time.

The Heat (33-26) arrived in Denver riding a five-game winning streak, in which they were averaging 113.0 points, but they had just 70 points through three quarters against the Nuggets.

Bam Adebayo led Miami with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Butler had 21 points and seven boards.

Draymond Green welcomed the news that Steve Kerr has agreed a contract extension with the Golden State Warriors, calling the development "incredible".

Golden State defeated the Charlotte Hornets 97-84 at home on Friday after reports had emerged that Kerr has agreed to a two-year, $35 million contract extension that will make him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.

The new deal, which is not yet formally signed, will reportedly pay Kerr, who has guided the Warriors to four NBA championships, $17.5 million a year.

His current deal was set to expire at the end of this season but Warriors forward Green was not worried about the prospect of Kerr leaving, as he was always confident an agreement would be struck.

"No [I was not worried], because I know [owner] Joe [Lacob] is going to do the right thing," Green said, per ESPN.

"He has done nothing but build that trust with us that he is going to do the right thing and take care of those who take care of this organization."

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is reported to make more annually than Kerr, but he also serves as the team’s president.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra signed an eight-year extension that pays him approximately $15m a season.

Kerr, 58, is in his 10th season as coach of the Warriors and holds a career regular season record of 501-264 and is 99-41 in the playoffs. 

He won his 500th game last week to become the fifth-fastest coach to do so in history.

"I think it's incredible," added Green. "I wouldn't want to finish my time here with any other coach. 

"What he has meant to this franchise and the winning ways that he brought here – you can't replace that. He got what he deserved."

Kerr will also coach Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He said he felt "really good" about the team's future but could not comment on the deal until it was officially signed and announced.

The victory means Golden State (29-26) has now won 10 of its last 12 games in the NBA, while Charlotte (14-42) had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Stephen Curry had 15 points and five assists in a game that saw him take on his younger brother Seth, with their father Dell on commentary to make it a special night for the family.

The Warriors' Curry (23,160 points) moved past Elgin Baylor (23,149) into 33rd place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. 

Hornets forward Miles Bridges had 19 points and 11 rebounds but was involved in a scuffle that saw Lester Quinones and Grant Williams ejected in garbage time. 

An argument had ensued after Quinones drove to the basket and attempted a layup with 10.9 seconds remaining, with Bridges called for goaltending.

"I don’t really understand why people get so mad at somebody scoring at the end of the game," added Green.

"It’s like this dumb, unofficial, unwritten rule. If you all were winning by 13 points would you get mad if he laid a ball up? I doubt it. So it's kind of like a sore loser type thing."

The Warriors will next host the Denver Nuggets in a big Sunday game.

Stephen Curry labelled the Golden State Warriors as "very average" after they gave up a big lead against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Warriors looked set to claim a sixth straight win after a strong first three quarters against the Clippers on Wednesday.

However, despite at one stage holding a 15-point lead, and a 13-point advantage heading into the final quarter, the Warriors could not hold on.

It is the sixth time this season that Golden State have lost after holding a 15-point lead - only the San Antonio Spurs have a poorer record.

And Curry, who finished with 41 points, bluntly said: "We're very average. 

"Very average doesn't get it done in this league. We need to make a run, hopefully, we bounce back tomorrow and after the All-Star break hit a stride where we win every game [at home] and steal a few on the road.

"We've been very average so far, so we have to regain that home-court fear that we have grown accustomed to in the past."

The Warriors blew a 22-point lead against the Clippers earlier in the season, and held an 11-point lead when their coach Tyronn Lue was ejected midway through the fourth quarter.

Yet the Clippers then went on a 36-22 streak, and Curry acknowledged the Warriors came up against an in-form side.

"They're a really good team that has some confidence, and we're still trying to prove that we're that type of team," Curry said.

While the Clippers are third in the Western Conference, the Warriors are 10th, just above the playoff line.

"Either way, how tonight would have gone, we would say the same thing about tomorrow, we're trying to keep the streak going and not have any missteps," added Curry.

"Now, it's the same mission but a different mindset of bounding back and just feeling good going into a six-day break. It's a very, very, very, very important game, to say the least."

Norman Powell hit four 3-pointers over the final 7:03 and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from 12 down in the fourth quarter to end the Golden State Warriors’ five-game winning streak, 130-125 on Wednesday.

James Harden had 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and Paul George scored 24 points before fouling out as the Clippers won their fifth straight on the road despite missing Kawhi Leonard, who sat out with a left leg injury.

Stephen Curry scored 41 points and went 9 for 19 from 3-point range and became the first player in NBA history to make at least seven 3s in four straight games. He notched his sixth 40-point game of the season.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was denied his 500th regular season win and Golden State suffered just its second loss in the last nine games.

The Clippers had lost six straight on the Warriors’ home floor.

 

Surging Celtics rip Nets

Payton Pritchard scored 28 points and Derrick White had 27 as the Boston Celtics pounded the Brooklyn Nets 136-86 for their sixth straight win and a sweep of their home-and-home series.

Jayson Tatum added 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Celtics gave coach Joe Mazzulla his 100th victory.

Boston, which enters the All-Star break with a league-best 43-12 record, made 22 of 44 from 3-point range and won by at least 50 points for the fifth time in team history.

The Celtics won their 10th in the last 11 meetings against the Nets, who have lost five of six overall.

 

Irving keeps Mavericks red hot

Kyrie Irving had 34 points and Luka Dončić added 27 before leaving early in the fourth quarter as the streaking Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 116-93 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Doncic, who also had nine rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes, left three minutes into the fourth holding his neck. A team spokesman said the Dallas superstar received treatment.

The Mavs erased a 15-point deficit to win their season-high sixth straight.

Victor Wembanyama scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds as the Spurs lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Jusuf Nurkic hit out at Draymond Green after the pair exchanged words and taunts during the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry-inspired win over the Phoenix Suns.

The resurgent Warriors won 113-112 thanks to Curry's 33-foot 3-pointer in the dying seconds on Saturday.

But while Curry wrote the headlines, and received high praise from all involved, including former teammate Kevin Durant, Green and Nurkic were involved in a verbal tussle.

Green has been careful with his behaviour since he returned from an indefinite NBA suspension in January. He had been banned because he had hit Nurkic in the face during a clash between the Warriors and the Suns in December.

But Nurkic does not believe Green has learned any lessons.

"It's sad," he said. "He didn't learn anything. It's just a matter of time.

"He's going to hit somebody else again. I take everything back, what I said. He doesn't deserve a chance."

Nurkic taunted Green by slapping the floor twice with a "too small" gesture during the third quarter, with the Warriors star returning the favour when he scooped the ball over the Suns center two minutes later.

"You can't be a nothing defender if you're going to do that," Green said of Nurkic.

"You probably outweigh me by 70 pounds and you get put in the rim? Got to be more careful.

"I thought I was great tonight. He tried to get in my head, and it didn't work. If he wants me to walk around quiet, like him, I'm never going to do that. Quiet guys don't win.

"He can keep rocking with that same horse that he rode in on. He can ride his a** right out of here on that same horse. It's not working."

Curry laughed off Nurkic's comments.

"He's given us a lift every game he's been back," Curry said of Green. "He connects, obviously, our defense, but you can talk about his defense every game.

"What he did offensively tonight, especially in the fourth quarter, he gave us great energy in the sense of having that competitive spirit you need to win a game like tonight, to meet the moment.

"Draymond knows how to walk the line that he needs to walk. This is probably the best game that you've seen it.

"You can tell when someone is in your head when you go out of your way to celebrate. Then Draymond comes back at him. All of the talk, Draymond was in his head, plain and simple."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr likewise defended Green.

"That month off, that suspension was real," Kerr said. "[Draymond] knew that his career was on the line or is on the line. He understands that he's got to be the guy he's been the last nine years, not the one he's been the last year. I see him doing that."

Ultimately, it was Curry's quality that settled the contest. The two-time MVP finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists, with his match-winning moment coming when Bradley Beal missed an attempted steal, after Brandin Podziemski had picked out Golden State's talisman.

"He's the best to ever shoot it," Beal said. "So you know the result after that."

For Durant, who played alongside Curry with the Warriors, there was not much more the Suns could have done to deny his former teammate.

"You give him a look like that for the game, he's licking his chops," Durant reflected. "I still think we could've had that steal. It's a tough play. Sometimes guys are just that great."

Kerr added: "We were due. We were due for one of these tight games to go our way. But the guys earned it. It didn’t just happen."

The Warriors have now won their last four games and sit 10th in the Western Conference with a 25-25 record, while the Suns are sixth on 31-22.

Stephen Curry urged the Golden State Warriors not to run before they can walk after his 42-point haul inspired them to victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The Warriors won for the fifth time in six games on Thursday, claiming an emphatic 131-109 win over Indiana.

Curry was in scintillating form, with 29 of his points coming in the first half. The four-time NBA champion has now recorded three 40+ point games across his last seven outings.

Golden State are 11th in the Western Conference, with a 24-25 record, but are now looking up as they aim to secure a playoff place.

But they must keep their feet on the ground.

"The challenge is to not get too far ahead of yourself, thinking you can just show up and win games," Curry said.

"We've got a long way to go to get some security."

Coach Steve Kerr believes the Warriors are beginning to show what they are truly made of.

He added: "We had a great start to the season and then things, obviously, went kind of haywire for a while.

"But this feels like the best version of us, with the starting lineup, playing they are, bringing guys off the bench who are giving great energy and effort.

"And then, Steph was just scalding hot there early."

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle offered up few excuses, simply pointing to the quality of Curry's performance.

"Well, he was making shots, but we got beat by their hard play — and our lack of hard play," he said.

"Simple as that. It was ugly. I think we lost every quarter."

Stephen Curry was left frustrated after having no win to show for his 60-point haul in the Golden State Warriors' loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Curry scored a season-high 60 points, while recording six rebounds and four assists, but the Warriors went down 141-134 in overtime on Saturday.

The Warriors are now 21-25 for the season, and 12th in the Western Conference.

Having fallen just two shy of his career-best 62 points, Curry became the 10th player in NBA history to register multiple 60-point games.

Yet the four-time champion was left with a sour taste in his mouth after watching Trae Young lead the Hawks to a fourth straight win with his 35 points.

"It sucks to not have something to show for it," Curry said.

"It's frustrating, obviously, not coming away with the win knowing a couple plays here, a couple plays there could have been a different outcome. It just adds to our frustrating season."

Draymond Green chipped in with seven points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors, and despite the result, he was delighted to see Curry shine.

"It just seems he continues to get better, which is special at his age," Green said of Curry, while coach Steve Kerr added: "We competed like crazy but just couldn't get over the hump."

Young and Curry embraced on the court after the game, with the latter offering some advice to the Hawks star, who is averaging 27.3 points per game but missed out on an All-Star pick.

"I told him after the game it will all come back to him if he continues to approach the game in the right way," said Curry.

Stephen Curry scored 60 points for the second-most in his career and made 10 3-pointers, but the Atlanta Hawks started fast in overtime in a 141-134 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

Curry had eight points in overtime to notch the second 60-point game of his career, falling two points shy of matching his career high set against Portland on Jan. 3, 2021. He was 22 of 38 from the field, 10 of 23 from long range, and made all six free throws.

Dejounte Murray scored the last seven points in an 11-0 run to open overtime for the Hawks and finished with 19 points.

Curry’s second 3 of overtime drew Golden State within 136-131 with 67 seconds to play but Trae Young hit a floater and Jalen Johnson’s layup with 20 seconds left sealed the win.

Young scored 35 points with seven 3-pointers, and Onyeka Okongwu added a career-high 22 points and a season-best 16 rebounds for Atlanta, which has won a season high-tying four straight.

 

Lakers snap Knicks’ 9-game streak

LeBron James scored 24 points and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away down the stretch for a 113-105 victory to end the New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak.

Austin Reaves had 22 points, D’Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince each scored 16 and Anthony Davis added 12 with 18 rebounds.

It was the second straight impressive road win for the Lakers after their 114-105 victory at NBA-leading Boston on Thursday.

Jalen Brunson poured in 36 points and Donte DiVincenzo added 26 before fouling out. The Knicks were done in by a nearly seven-minute scoreless stretch in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers turned a 96-94 deficit into a 105-96 lead.

 

Antetokounmpo outduels Doncic in Bucks’ win

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 48 points and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 25-point deficit for their first win under coach Doc Rivers, 129-117 over the Dallas Mavericks.

Antetokounmpo shot 20 of 28 from the field to go with 10 assists and six rebounds as Milwaukee avoided a season-high third straight loss.

The Bucks, who lost their first two games under Rivers, started the rally with a 15-0 run in the final two minutes of the first half to get within five.

Damian Lillard added 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting and hit all five 3-point attempts.

Luka Dončić had 40 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to fall just shy of his 10th triple-double of the season.

Maxi Kleber scored 21 points and Josh Green had 20 with nine rebounds for Dallas, which had its biggest blown lead in a loss this season and dropped to 2-6 in its last eight games.

LeBron James is looking forward to talking about his thrilling matchups against Stephen Curry with his grandchildren.

That is how much James relishes going up against the Golden State Warriors star, as the duo served up another wonderful instalment of their long-running rivalry on Saturday.

James and the Los Angeles Lakers came out on top, edging out the Warriors 145-144 in double overtime.

Curry led the game with 46 points, with 15 of those coming across the two OT periods, but James inspired the Lakers with a triple-double of 36 points, 12 assists and a career-best 20 rebounds.

"It's something I'll be able to talk about with my grandkids," James said.

"When you talk about me being able to compete versus one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

"It's been a treat to go against one of the greatest to ever play this game.

"For us to continue to push each other at the state of our careers, you don't take it for granted because you don't know how many times you're actually going to get the moment to actually be on the same floor with such a talent."

James and Curry dominated four successive NBA Finals, and the pair, who have eight championship rings between them, rekindled that fire in magnificent fashion.

However, neither team have been enjoying their best campaigns. The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 24-23 record, three places ahead of the 19-24 Warriors.

"Every year that we get to do this and go back and forth, the battles, the Finals runs, the playoff battles last year, after the horn sounded tonight there was a little laugh of, I can't imagine a scenario where a game like tonight happens, [with] him in Season 21 and me in Year 15," Curry said.

"You look forward to the battles, but you also appreciate the mutual respect of what it takes to keep doing what you're doing at this level. Only a few people know how hard it is. I'm happy to be in that group."

Klay Thompson, who scored 24 points for the Warriors, is simply happy to have played alongside, and against, two of the NBA's greatest.

"Credit to LeBron for what he's doing at his age. I mean, that guy is a freak of nature in terms of his ability to play at this level for so long. Same with Steph," Thompson said.

"When you're younger, you don't ever really think that basketball will stop because it's what you love. It's all you do.

"But when you get to your thirties, you realise there's an end point to being an athlete. Knowing that, I am very grateful to step on the floor with those guys and play against LeBron."

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