Chants of MVP echoed around the crowded Oracle Arena on Thursday night as Stephen Curry — last season's MVP — helped Golden State ice a 121-106 win against the Thunder.
Things didn't always come easily for Curry in this game. The league's best shooter struggled to find his usual form from beyond the arc (5-for-15 shooting) but found success driving to the basket and ultimately scored 33 points.
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The win gave Golden State 44 straight home wins, which tied the NBA record set by the Bulls in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons. The Warriors (55-5) have won all 26 games at home this season and have the best record in NBA history through 60 games.
Klay Thompson finished with 21 points and Draymond Green flirted with a triple-double, tallying 14 points with eight rebounds and seven assists. But it was the bench contribution that really helped the Warriors on Thursday.
Shaun Livingston, who started in place of an injured Curry against the Hawks, led the second unit with 11 points and eight assists. Marreese Speights added 10 points and four rebounds.
"Our second unit turned momentum in our favor at the start of the fourth quarter and gave us the confidence to pull out the game," Curry said on TNT.
Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City (42-20) with 32 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Russell Westbrook added 22 points and Serge Ibaka scored 20 points, but it wasn't enough to stop the Warriors from handing them their sixth loss in their past eight games.
Highlights:
Westbrook skies for the jam:
Great pass for the Westbrook dunk on TNT! #NBARapidReplay #OKCatGSW https://t.co/rP9a8Ui0Sh
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2016
Ryan Anderson with a nasty step-back 3-pointer:
Anderson with the step back 3 on TNT! #NBARapidReplay #SASatNOP https://t.co/Vr9Uf7A6ZB
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2016
Rajon Rondo with the dish:
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 4, 2016
Stud of the night:
Kawhi Leonard took another step in the direction of super stardom Thursday as he led the Spurs to a comeback win against the Pelicans. Leonard scored a game-high 30 points with 11 rebounds. San Antonio finished the game on a 20-5 run to win 94-86. LaMarcus Aldridge also had a big game, scoring 26 points and hauling in eight rebounds.
Dud of the night:
The Suns just can't find a starting point guard with Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe injured. They tried Archie Goodwin but that didn't work. So they moved on to Ronnie Price, who scored just two points on 1-of-4 shooting with five fouls in 19 minutes during Thursday night's 108-92 loss against the Heat.
One positive Phoenix can take from this lost season is the development of Devin Booker. The 2015 first-round pick scored a career-high 34 points Thursday.
What's next (All times Eastern):
Trail Blazers (33-29) at Raptors (40-19), 7:30 p.m. — Red-hot Portland heads to Toronto to try to quell the All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors are trying to overtake Cleveland in the East, so expect them to come out hungry in this one.
Wizards (30-30) at Cavaliers (42-17), 8 p.m. ET on ESPN — The Cavaliers desperately need to get back on track as the postseason looms. Kyrie Irving has voiced his displeasure and Kevin Love continues to be under-utilized. Something needs to change.