Dominant Curry produces his own golden statement

He nets 10 three-pointers in 51-pt blitz to lift tiring mates as Warriors reach 52-win mark

Warriors guard Stephen Curry thanking fans in the tunnel after Golden State's 130-114 victory over Orlando at Amway Centre. They need 21 wins from their final 25 games to beat the regular-season record of 72 wins set by the Chicago Bulls in 1996-97.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry thanking fans in the tunnel after Golden State's 130-114 victory over Orlando at Amway Centre. They need 21 wins from their final 25 games to beat the regular-season record of 72 wins set by the Chicago Bulls in 1996-97. PHOTO: REUTERS

ORLANDO • As only the great ones can, Stephen Curry made it all look so easy once again.

While his team-mates struggled to find any energy, he carried the load, getting 51 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in leading the Golden State Warriors to a 130-114 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

The National Basketball Association's Most Valuable Player hit 10 of 15 three-point attempts and 20 of 27 shots overall. It was his third game this season scoring at least 50 points. The star guard scored more than 40 points for the 10th time this season.

It also was his 128th consecutive game with at least one three-point basket, setting an NBA record.

Curry scored 24 points in the third period, including a just-over-half-court three-pointer as the buzzer sounded. He lifted the Warriors to a 99-91 lead going into the final period and never looked back.

"I don't know how significant that record is because it's so simple for him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the 128-game run. "The three-point shot is like a lay-up to him. It's what he does. The half-court shot is like a three-pointer for everyone else."

"Our guys were tired," he added after the side played their fifth away game in seven days. "There was no enthusiasm. He just lit a fire under us tonight."

Curry, who leads the NBA in scoring (30.4 points per game), had 42 points over 34 minutes on Wednesday in a victory over the Miami Heat.

"It's just pretty much executing what we do," said the guard. "We have such great passing big men, and a great passing team that we find the angles, and I get easy looks at the basket."

The Warriors (52-5) have won 15 of their past 16 games as they chase the NBA record of 72 regular-season victories, set by the Chicago Bulls in 1996-97.

Forward Draymond Green and centre Andrew Bogut each had 12 points for the Warriors. All-Star guard Klay Thompson managed just nine points.

"This was Steph's night," Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "He tricked us so many times. He runs. He stops. He relaxes, causes you to relax, and then he's gone. That happened at least a dozen times."

The Magic were led by guard Evan Fournier with 20 points, but he managed just three in the second half when the game was decided. Forward Aaron Gordon matched his career high with 19 points and added eight rebounds.

"(Curry) just makes unbelievable shots," Fournier said. "Scoring 51, that's just another level."

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 27, 2016, with the headline Dominant Curry produces his own golden statement. Subscribe