Warriors win 9th straight behind Curry’s 38 points

Westbrook posts league-best 15th triple-double

WASHINGTON – Stephen Curry scored 38 points, local product Kevin Durant had 21 and the Golden State Warriors hammered the ball inside to beat the Washington Wizards 126-118 Thursday night for their season-high ninth consecutive victory.

The two-time defending NBA champions put up 70 points in the paint after shooting 1 of 6 from the outside in the first quarter. Curry was at the forefront of Golden State’s drive-the-paint strategy as he made just two of his eight 3-point attempts and was 12 of 16 inside the arc.

Durant, from nearby Suitland, Maryland, was 9 of 18 from the floor.

Cousins was a matchup nightmare in the post against Washington, which went with a small lineup for most of the night.

In Oklahoma City,  Russell Westbrook posted his NBA-leading 15th triple-double of the season and the Thunder beat the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans 122-116.

Westbrook finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists for the 119th triple-double of his career. The Thunder improved to 10-5 this season when he gets one.

Paul George had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Steven Adams added 20 points and 13 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which won its fourth straight.

In Phoenix,  Damian Lillard scored 24 points, CJ McCollum and Jake Layman added 20 apiece and the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away in the second half to hand the short-handed Suns their sixth straight loss.

Elsewhere, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 12 rebounds to help Minnesota beat Los Angeles 120-105.

LeBron James missed his 15th consecutive game because of a groin strain.