Warriors start new streak after first loss; Mavs lay an egg

Steven J. Gaither

Warriors start new streak after first loss; Mavs lay an egg image

For a quarter and a half, it looked like the Warriors had been suffering a bit of a hangover after their first loss of the season, as the Suns were hanging around at Oracle Arena. 

Then the Splash Brothers got it going, and that was all she wrote.

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Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry led the way, combining for 68 points, as the Warriors bounced back with a 128-103 win after losing to the Bucks on Saturday. Who knows when this streak will end, as Golden State has a pretty manageable slate before meeting with the Cavs on Christmas.

Draymond Green (16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds) quietly notched his fourth triple-double of the season, which ties him with Rajon Rondo for the most in the league. 

The Warriors outscored the Suns 79-37 in the second and third quarters, effectively rendering the final 12 minutes irrelevant.

Curry had a tame but solid night by his standards, scoring 25 points and dishing out seven assists. It was Thompson who starred, going off for 43 points, 27 of them in the third quarter alone, as the Warriors picked up their 25th win of the season halfway through December. 

"My teammates know when I'm in a zone like that, they try to get me as many shots as possible," Thompson said on the ESPN broadcast after the game. "I'm lucky to play with a group of unselfish guys." 

Curry is virtually guaranteed to have at least 25 points every night and Green has consistently been one of the best all-around players in the league, but Thompson may be just as valuable.

Stud of the night 

Guard Isaiah Thomas continues to shine for the Celtics. The Celtics fell 119-116 to the Pistons, but Thomas was sensational, going for 38 points on 12 of 20 shooting and diming out seven assists on Wednesday. 

Duds of the night 

The Mavericks starters were pretty bad, granted they were going up against a good defensive team in the Pacers. They combined to go 19 for 56 as the Mavs lost 107-81 to the Pacers. 

Tweet of the night 

The Big Fundamental having a little fun at a ballboy's expense. The Spurs set a franchise record with their 23rd straight home win Wednesday over the Wizards 114-95.

Looking ahead (all times Eastern):

Thunder (17-8) at Cavs (16-7), 8 p.m.: Stephen Curry may be the biggest NBA draw of the moment, but anytime you get LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in the same building it is must-see TV. 

Steven J. Gaither