Stephen Curry scored 36 points as the Golden State Warriors became the fastest team in NBA history to 50 wins, beating the Atlanta Hawks 102-92 on Monday night after squandering a 23-point lead.
The Warriors (50-5) eclipsed the mark set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls, who needed one more game to win their 50th. Of course, that is the team Golden State is chasing, moving another step closer to the record 72-10 mark put up by Michael Jordan and his teammates at the height of their six-title, eight-year dynasty.
Atlanta closed the third quarter on a 28-6 run and grabbed the lead briefly early in the fourth, igniting the sellout crowd. However, the Warriors would not be denied, bouncing back to hand the Hawks their fourth straight home loss.
Photo: AFP
Klay Thompson added 27 points for the Warriors. Both he and Curry knocked down five shots from three-point range. Draymond Green had 14 rebounds and nine assists.
Al Horford led the Hawks with 23 points.
PISTONS 96, CAVALIERS 88
In Cleveland, Ohio, Reggie Jackson scored 23 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 19 as Detroit withstood Cleveland’s late comeback to end a five-game losing streak.
One day after allowing New Orleans center Anthony Davis score 59 points with 20 rebounds, the Pistons beat the Eastern Conference’s top team for the second time this season.
Andre Drummond added 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who let an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter dwindle to six before putting away the Cavs and ending their five-game winning streak.
Kyrie Irving scored 30 and Kevin Love 24 for Cleveland, who had an off night after looking so impressive in a win at Oklahoma City on Sunday. LeBron James scored just 12 points — 13 below his average — and went five of 18 from the floor, missing all four three-point tries and committing six turnovers.
Tobias Harris, acquired from Orlando in a trade last week, scored 14 in his first start for the Pistons.
HEAT 101, PACERS 93, OT
In Miami, Goran Dragic scored 24 points, while Hassan Whiteside finished with 19 points and 18 rebounds as Miami won their third consecutive game since the All-Star break, rallying from 14 points down to beat Indiana in overtime.
Dwyane Wade added 16 points and Justise Winslow scored 15 for Miami, who won despite shooting only 38 percent. The Heat grabbed 66 rebounds for the second consecutive game after reaching that mark only three times in their first 28 seasons.
Luol Deng added 13 points and 16 rebounds for Miami.
Paul George had 31 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, and Myles Turner scored 16. However, Indiana’s starting backcourt of Monta Ellis and George Hill combined to miss 22 of 24 shots.
RAPTORS 122, KNICKS 95
In New York, Kyle Lowry had 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double of the season and DeMar DeRozan also scored 22, becoming the player in Raptors history with most wins, as Toronto beat New York.
Jonas Valanciunas added 20 points for the Raptors, who won so easily that Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis changed his mind in the final minutes of the blowout and inserted Jimmer Fredette.
Just signed to a 10-day contract, the former college player of the year made a three-pointer on his lone shot attempt — about the only thing Knicks fans had to cheer during the team’s 12th loss in 14 games.
DeRozan passed Chris Bosh and Morris Peterson with his 233rd win in six-plus years wearing a Raptors uniform.
Carmelo Anthony had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks on the fifth anniversary of his trade to New York. Robin Lopez added 21 points and 13 boards.
TIMBERWOLVES 124, CELTICS 122
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points, 13 rebounds and four assists as Minnesota outlasted Boston.
Gorgui Dieng had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Ricky Rubio gave the Timberwolves 15 points, eight assists, eight rebounds and some terrific defense on Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas.
Jae Crowder had 27 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who lost on the second night of a back-to-back for the first time in six games. Boston’s normally stingy defense gave up 51.8 percent shooting to the Wolves. The Celtics were also outrebounded 51-38, and Marcus Smart missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it.
Zach LaVine had 16 points and shot four of five on three-pointers, and Andrew Wiggins scored 17 for the Wolves.
BUCKS 108, LAKERS 101
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Giannis Antetokounmpo registered 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as Milwaukee beat Los Angeles in retiring star Kobe Bryant’s last trip to the Bradley Center.
Bryant had 15 points in 24 minutes, shooting three of 12 from the field and eight for nine at the foul line. He was feted with a pre-game video tribute by Bucks coach Jason Kidd, who faced the 37-year-old Bryant numerous times during his playing days.
Kidd’s young players set the pace and outscored the Lakers 36-17 in the third quarter. All five Bucks starters scored in double figures.
The Lakers lost their sixth straight game.
CLIPPERS 124, SUNS 84
In Los Angeles, J.J. Redick scored 22 points as Los Angeles handed Phoenix their 12th consecutive loss overall and 15th in a row on the road.
DeAndre Jordan added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Chris Paul had 16 points and 14 assists for the Clippers, who split their previous two games against the West’s top two teams, the Warriors and Spurs.
Los Angeles had their way with the conference’s second-worst team, earning their most lopsided win of the season while improving to 20-6 without injured Blake Griffin.
Archie Goodwin scored 20 points off the bench for the Suns, who trailed the entire game on the way to their worst loss of the season.
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