Stephen Curry carries reeling Warriors past Magic to help snap 3-game slide
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 36 points and added a team-high six assists as the Golden State Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Orlando Magic 121-115 on Tuesday night (Wednesday, January 3, Manila time) in San Francisco.
Jonathan Kuminga scored two of his 19 points on a dunk that increased Golden State’s lead to 110-101 with 2:29 to go.
The Warriors, who opened a seven-game home stand with losses to the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks, sealed the win from there, hitting nine free throws in the final 65 seconds.
Curry finished 12-for-20 from the floor and Klay Thompson, who shot 6-for-11, scored 15 points for Golden State, which outshot Orlando 53.8 percent to 44.6 percent.
The Magic, who lost at Phoenix on Sunday, led 93-92 after Franz Wagner’s basket with 8:33 to go.
Thompson countered with a 3-pointer to give Golden State the lead for good.
The Warriors’ lead was down to 106-101 after Goga Bitadze dunked with 3:02 left, but Curry assisted on a 3-pointer by Thompson and a basket by Kuminga to give Golden State a nine-point cushion. Curry scored 10 in the fourth quarter.
Kuminga added six rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the win. Chris Paul had 12 points, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski and Andrew Wiggins each finished with 10 points.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 27 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and Franz Wagner chipped in with 25 points. Banchero shot 8-for-20, and Franz Wagner finished 10-for-19.
Bitadze, Moritz Wagner and Cole Anthony each had three offensive boards while Banchero had four as the Magic finished with 16.
Bitadze scored 13 points, Moritz Wagner had 12 points and Jalen Suggs added 10 points for the Magic, who have lost seven of their past 10 games. – Rappler.com