Stephen Curry scored 27 points and the Golden State Warriors recovered from a slow start for a 120-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Monday night in New York.
Jimmy Butler added 21, while Trayce Jackson-Davis contributed 11. Gary Payton II, De’Anthony Melton and rookie Will Richard chipped in 10 apiece as the Warriors won for the fourth time in five games and rallied from an early 15-point deficit.
The Warriors shot 53.2% and hit 10-of-33 3-pointers to avoid falling under .500.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 27 and rookie Egor Demin tied a career high with 23 as Brooklyn saw a three-game winning streak stopped. The Nets were unable to earn four straight wins for the first time since winning 12 straight Dec. 7, 2022-Jan. 2, 2023.
Nic Claxton added 15 and nine rebounds, while Cam Thomas finished with 13 in his second game back from a left hamstring injury as Brooklyn shot 45% and made 18-of-42 3-point tries.
Curry made 8-of-15 shots, including 5-of-12 3-pointers, after shooting 12-of-30 in Sunday’s overtime loss at Toronto. Butler made 5-of-9 shots, hit 11-of-12 free throws and hit the basket that gave the Warriors the lead for good late in the third quarter.
The Nets held a 15-point lead with just over four minutes left in the first before the Warriors ended the opening quarter with a 15-2 run to cut the lead to 30-28. Curry sat for the final 7:32 of the first half, and the Warriors held a 59-57 lead at halftime.
Curry took a break with 3:37 left in the third, and Butler took over. He scored Golden State’s final 11 points of the quarter, and his three-point play with 34 seconds left gave the Warriors an 89-85 lead heading into the fourth.
Curry sank a three following an inbounds pass for a 94-88 lead a little over a minute into the fourth, and the Warriors held a 98-89 lead following a Draymond Green free throw with 8:23 left. After Demin’s 3 sliced the lead to 98-95 with 7 1/2 minutes left, Golden State scored nine straight while Curry rested, and a one-handed slam by Jackson-Davis opened a 107-95 edge with 4:37 left.
The Nets ripped off eight straight points to get within 107-103 on two free throws by Terance Mann with 2:32 left. Curry started Golden State’s game-ending 13-4 run by converting a three-point play for a 110-103 lead with 2:13 left.
