NBA: Curry scores 49, Irving scores 37 as Warriors defeat Celtics

Stephen Curry scored 49 points with 13 of those over the final 1:42 and hit eight three-pointers, lifting the Golden State Warriors past the Boston Celtics 109-105 on Saturday night in what is already being hyped as a potential NBA finals match-up come June.

Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving were at their best on Saturday night.

Curry made a go-ahead three with 1:42 to play, scored on a driving layup the next time down before eight late free throws. He also made three of his threes over the final 4:20 of the third quarter for the Warriors, who had lost the last two matchups to the Celtics and two in a row at home. The Warriors fell 92-88 at Boston on 16 November, in which they squandered a 17-point lead.

Kyrie Irving scored 37 points on 13-for-18 shooting with five 3s, but Boston failed to build momentum from a win at the Clippers on Wednesday night, losing for the fifth time in six games.

Kevin Durant added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who haven’t lost to the same Eastern Conference opponent twice in the same season during fourth-year coach Steve Kerr’s tenure. Draymond Green had 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Elsewhere, Carmelo Anthony surpassed the 25,000-point milestone and Russell Westbrook added 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds to lift surging Oklahoma City past Detroit.

Thunder guard Andre Roberson was taken off on a stretcher in the third quarter after landing hard on the court after trying to jump for an alley-oop. The scary injury put a damper on Oklahoma City’s seventh straight victory. It’s the NBA’s longest current winning streak.

Anthony scored his 25,000th point on a free throw with 8:30 left in the third quarter. That was part of a 15-0 run for the Thunder at the start of the second half that pushed their lead to 27.

(THE GUARDIAN)