Stephen Curry scored a season-high 36 points as the visiting Golden State Warriors held off the Thunder for a 127-116 win on Sunday in Oklahoma City.
Curry hit seven 3-pointers and finished 13-of-23 from the field for Golden State, which led by 30 late in the third quarter before Oklahoma City pulled within six with 4:46 remaining in the game.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 12 of his 20 points for the Warriors in the second quarter and shot 8-of-11 from the field. De’Anthony Melton hit five of Golden State’s season-high-tying 21 3-pointers and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points but was just 6-of-17 from the field, including 1-for-5 in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City played most of the game without star center Chet Holmgren, who injured his right hip on a hard fall after a midair collision with the Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins in the first quarter. Holmgren finished scoreless for the first time in his career, going 0-for-3 from the field, and had four rebounds.
The Thunder trailed 107-77 late in the third but got within 114-108 in the fourth after Alex Caruso stole an inbounds pass and streaked to the other end for a dunk.
Oklahoma City immediately forced another turnover, this one by Curry, but couldn’t take advantage again. Golden State scored on its next two possessions, the latter coming on Curry’s sixth 3-pointer that made it 119-108 with 3:23 remaining.
Curry scored five more points the rest of the way as the Thunder never got closer than seven.
The Warriors outshot the hosts 50.6 percent (45-of-89) to 44.7 percent (42-of-94) and held Oklahoma City to 11-of-33 shooting (33.3 percent) on 3-pointers.
The Thunder initially responded well after Holmgren’s injury, stretching their lead to seven by the end of the first quarter. Golden State turned things around in the second, outscoring the Thunder 39-25 to carry a 65-58 lead into halftime.
The Warriors’ surge continued in the third quarter as Curry exploded for 17 points. Golden State outscored Oklahoma City 42-21 in the third to take a 107-79 lead into the fourth before the Thunder threatened late.
The Warriors have won six of their last seven and wrapped up their five-game road trip 4-1. The Thunder have lost two of their last three since starting 7-0.
–Field Level Media