Curry helps Warriors defeat Trail Blazers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Stephen Curry made yet another case for MVP with a 45-point effort on Thursday to help the Golden State Warriors down the Portland Trail Blazers 116-105.
Curry shot 17-of-23 from the field and made eight 3-pointers on the night, his fifth breaking his own NBA single-season record of 272 set two seasons ago. He scored 17 points over the final 5:17 and also handed out 10 assists to keep the Warriors from dropping three straight for the first time this season.
"I tried not to think about it," Curry said of the record. "Thankfully I got it over with and settled into the game."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Klay Thompson added 26 points and Draymond Green chipped in with 11 and 14 rebounds for the victors.
LaMarcus Aldridge needed 24 shots to score 27 points for the Blazers, who saw Arron Afflalo exit early with a shoulder injury. Damian Lillard netted 20 points with eight assists and six rebounds in defeat.
A Nicolas Batum bucket gave Portland a 93-92 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but Curry took the reins, rode the momentum of the crowd and carried Golden State to its 15th straight home win.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He followed up Thompson's go-ahead 3-pointer with one of his own, hit three free throws after the Blazers cut their deficit to one, then showed off his full arsenal in the final minute with a stepback jumper, a layup off a brilliant ball fake and a final 3 for good measure.
Curry's 14 first-quarter points staked the Warriors to a 30-27 lead, but an 18-2 run midway through the second gave the Blazers a 13-point advantage.
Curry hit consecutive 3-pointers to stop the surge, and Thompson scored nine points in three possessions to quickly cut the deficit to one. Buckets by Harrison Barnes and Curry in the final minute capped the 21-5 run and sent the hosts into the break with a 57-54 lead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An evenly-played third quarter fittingly ended with the game knotted at 84.
"Lots of ebbs and flows," Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said. "We showed we can play with them"
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Golden State matched a franchise record with 36 home wins set in 1975-76 ... Three of Curry's nine career 40-point games have come against the Blazers ... The Warriors are 4-0 in games following back-to-back losses ... Golden State swept the three-game season series.