Curry closes out Thunder with big finish

OAKLAND, California – With a Super Bowl-sized stage, a celebrity-filled crowd and two championship contenders on the floor, it felt more like late May in Oracle Arena than early February.

Stephen Curry was up to the task.

Curry scored 26 points and keyed a strong closing stretch that sent the Golden State Warriors to their 41st straight regular-season home win, 116-108, over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

“This was very playoff-like for sure,” Curry said. “The atmosphere, just the intensity, the adrenaline down the stretch. That’s what you expect for sure. It was good to get that feeling and execute.”

Curry scored three baskets and assisted on two more in a closing 12-4 run that gave the Warriors (46-4) their ninth straight win to match the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers for the best record ever after 50 games. Golden State moved within three wins of tying the Chicago Bulls (1995-96) for the longest home winning streak in NBA history.

Harrison Barnes added 19 points and Klay Thompson scored 18 for Golden State.

In other results, Portland crushed Houston, 96-76; Charlotte upended Washington, 108-104; Indiana turned back Detroit, 110-104; Cleveland routed New Orleans, 99-84; Philadelphia stunned Brookly, 103-98; Dallas held off Memphis, 114-110; Minnesota repulsed Chicago, 112-105; Utah trampled Phoenix, 98-89; and the San Antonio Spurs rallied to frustrate the Los Angeles Lakers, 106-102.

Back in Oakland, Kevin Durant had 40 points and 14 rebounds and Russell Westbrook added 27 points and 12 assists for the Thunder, who had won five straight and 12 of 13 but still trail Golden State and San Antonio in the Western Conference.

“Man we’re not scared of either one of these teams,” Durant said.