Stephen Curry scored 39 points on 14-for-24 field goal shooting to lead a Kevin Durant-less Golden State Warriors past the Brooklyn Nets, 118-111, at the Barclays Center on Sunday. It was a season-high in scoring for Curry, who pulled off a double-double with 11 rebounds and also had seven assists and three steals while going 4-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Curry fouled out of the game, though, after getting his sixth via a charge on Nets forward Quincy Acy with three minutes left in the match. The two-time NBA champion outscored the whole Nets team in the opening minutes of the first quarter, 13-12, as the Warriors led by as much as 28 points.
Brooklyn fought back with a big 42-point third quarter, but Golden State was just too much for the Nets’ youngsters as Kenny Atkinson’s boys came up short in the final quarter.
Klay Thompson finished with 23 points, 10 boards, and two steals while Omri Casspi, who was inserted in the starting lineup in place of the injured Durant, produced 12 points and eight rebounds. Draymond Green had a game-high eight assists with seven boards, two steals, and two blocks in another efficient all-around performance.
Shooting guard Allen Crabbe led the Nets with 25 points, seven rebounds, and two assists while teammate Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 21 points and eight assists.
Durant was unavailable during the game after suffering a light sprain on his left ankle in the opening minutes of the Warriors’ 124-116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. Durant went on to play 33 minutes against the Sixers, scoring 27 points, grabbing five boards, and dishing out three assists. He decided to sit out this game against the Nets in preparation for Wednesday’s game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
However, ESPN reported that Durant is still “not sure” if he can play against the Thunder, saying that he will take his injury “day by day” and decide whether his ankle will improve or not.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is also unsure about Durant’s availability on Wednesday. Kerr said that the two-day rest will give the former league MVP “a chance to heal,” which explained his decision to sideline Durant against the Nets.
[Featured Image by Abbie Parr/Getty Images]
