NBA: Warriors top Spurs for record-tying 72nd win

Klay Thompson (in white) of the Golden State Warriors attempts a slam dunk over Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs in the first quarter of their match on April 10. PHOTO: AFP

(REUTERS) - There are records and then there are monumental records.

The quest for one record was thwarted on Sunday when the Golden State Warriors beat San Antonio 92-86 to end the Spurs' chance of completing the first undefeated home schedule in NBA history.

However, the Warriors' victory kept alive their pursuit of setting the NBA's single-season win mark. The defending champions cemented their place as one of the greatest teams in league history.

The Warriors (72-9) matched the victory total of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Golden State can set a new mark with a home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, the season's final night.

Much of the credit for Golden State's Sunday victory goes to Stephen Curry, the Warriors' transcendent point guard, and his 37 points, 16 of them in a pivotal stretch of the third quarter.

A nip-and-tuck game between the teams with the league's two best records turned in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Warriors forward Harrison Barnes had three big baskets and led a group of mostly reserves to a six-point lead over a mixture of San Antonio's starters and bench players.

From there, Curry and Klay Thompson took over as Golden State turned a four-point lead into a 90-79 advantage on Curry's finger-roll lay-up with 1min 34sec to play. San Antonio cut the Warriors' lead to four points in the waning seconds but could not complete the comeback.

Golden State handed the Spurs their first home loss of the season and ended San Antonio's franchise-high, 48-game regular-season home winning streak that began on March 12 last year. The Spurs' streak is the second longest in NBA history, right after the Warriors' mark of 54 consecutive home wins that ended last month.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.