With all due respect to Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are definitely worth talking about right now.
Behind 40 points from their former MVP, the Warriors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 121-119 on Thursday. It was their 10th win in 12 games since trading for Jimmy Butler at the NBA trade deadline.
Three of Curry’s 40 points came at the end of the first half. Even by Curry’s incredible standards, his high-arcing, turnaround jumper was a shot that defied belief.
That shot was part of a 22-point comeback for the Warriors after a brutal first quarter. Curry ended up shooting 12-of-20 from the field and 7-of-13 from 3-point range, with four rebounds and four assists. It was also a big game from Butler, who matched a Warriors career high with 25 points plus six assists and three steals.
Curry was the one who had the dagger.
Since trading Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder and others for Butler, the Warriors have simultaneously looked like a different team, and somewhat familiar. So much was made about Golden State finding a next generation to take over after Curry, but the team ended up getting even older by adding Butler and hoping he still had the two-way prowess that wasn’t showing up with the Miami Heat anymore.
In their 11 games since the Butler trade before Thursday, the Warriors lead the NBA in defensive rating and rank fourth in offensive rating, adding up to the best net rating in basketball. Curry has gone from averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 assists and 38.9% 3-point shooting in 42 pre-Butler games to 29.4, 6.8 and 42.9%.
There’s no Klay Thompson this time around, but the Warriors’ new plan is flanking Curry with two veterans who can facilitate and defend in Butler and Draymond Green, who had 10 assists Thursday.
So far, it’s working. The Warriors have gone from firm play-in territory to a 35-28 record, good for sixth place and the final guaranteed playoff spot in the West. They have significant competition right behind them in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers, but it took a single month for this season to feel very different.
Curry scores 40 points and the Warriors finish a 4-1 trip with a 121-119 victory over the Nets
NEW YORK — — Stephen Curry scored 40 points, with a turnaround heave from just inside halfcourt among his seven 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors climbed out of a 22-point hole to beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-119 on Thursday night.
Jimmy Butler added 25 for the Warriors, who finished 4-1 on their road trip despite falling behind 27-5. They rallied from at least 20 down to win for the third time this season.
Golden State is 10-2 since Butler entered the lineup on Feb. 8 in Chicago. The Warriors erased a 24-point deficit in that game, their biggest comeback of the season.
Cam Johnson scored 26 points and Cam Thomas had 23 for the Nets, who lost their sixth straight.
The Nets made 10 of their first 11 shots and raced to a 27-5 lead. They led much of the game before Golden State surged ahead in the fourth quarter.
Takeaways
Warriors: Gary Payton II had 16 points and nine rebounds wearing a mask after missing a game with a broken nose, but the Warriors lost starting guard Brandin Podziemski after just a minute of action because of lower back soreness.
Nets: The Nets did a lot of things well, but Butler (10 for 10) and Curry (9 for 9) had more free throws than they did as a team (18).
Key moment
The final basket of the first half was unbelievable even by Curry’s standards. He took a pass from Butler with his feet inside the Nets’ midcourt logo, turned and flung a shot that dropped in, officially from 38 feet. Curry started running toward the locker room after he threw it up and was already off the court with 0.3 seconds still on the clock.
Key stat
The announced attendance of 18,413 was a record for a Nets game at Barclays Center, which opened in 2012.
Up next
The Warriors open a season-high, seven-game homestand against Detroit on Saturday. The Nets are in Charlotte that night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
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Series tied 1-1
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS | 15 | 40 | 31 | 35 | 121 |
| BKN | 35 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 119 |
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Lakers | 39 | 21 | .650 | – | W7 |
| Golden State | 35 | 28 | .556 | 5.5 | W3 |
| LA Clippers | 33 | 29 | .532 | 7 | W1 |
| Sacramento | 32 | 29 | .525 | 7.5 | L1 |
| Phoenix | 29 | 33 | .468 | 11 | W1 |
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 45 | 18 | .714 | – | W3 |
| New York | 40 | 21 | .656 | 4 | L1 |
| Brooklyn | 21 | 41 | .339 | 23.5 | L6 |
| Philadelphia | 21 | 41 | .339 | 23.5 | L3 |
| Toronto | 20 | 42 | .323 | 24.5 | W2 |
Golden State Warriors Top Dunks vs. Brooklyn Nets
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