OAKLAND (California) • The Miami Heat were determined not to let the Golden State Warriors beat them from behind the three-point arc on Monday night.
So the versatile Warriors made their 36th consecutive home-court National Basketball Association (NBA) victory an inside job.
On a night when he missed seven of his 11 three-point attempts, Stephen Curry scored nine of his game-high 31 points after the Heat closed within seven midway through the fourth quarter. And the Warriors held on for a 111-103 win.
"We've been through a lot. Nothing fazes us," guard Curry said of the team's 7-for-23 accuracy on three-pointers.
"We always feel we can find a way to win games."
This one was done with 50 points in the paint on 25-for-45 shooting and 32 points from six bench players.
"Great team effort," Warriors interim coach Luke Walton said. "They took away our three-point shot as well as anybody has this season. It's a credit to (Warriors players) that we scored 111 points anyway."
Golden State power forward Draymond Green recorded a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double, and shooting guard Klay Thompson dropped in 17 points despite just 6-for-15 shooting as the Warriors (36-2) ran their home record to 18-0 this season.
It was not easy against a Heat team that prevailed in eight of their previous 11 trips to Oakland.
"I think we did enough to give ourselves a chance," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
"Every time you have a chance, if you make a mistake, they really know how to capitalise."
Curry shot just 11-for-27 overall, but the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player preserved his club's seventh consecutive win with two three-pointers, a midrange jumper and one free throw over the final 4min 52sec.
In doing so, he recorded his 16th 30-point game of the season.
He also found time in the game for six assists while committing just one turnover.
The Warriors had only nine turnovers as a team, a number Walton labelled "like a miracle".
Shooting guard Dwyane Wade led six Heat players in double figures, scoring 20 points, but even he had an off-night from the field, missing 14 of 20 attempts.
Centre Chris Bosh and backup guard Gerald Green had 15 points apiece for the Heat (22-16), who were making the third stop on a six-game trip.
The loss was just Miami's fourth in 15 games against Western Conference clubs this season.
"They're a special ball-club. They really play as a unit," Wade said of the reigning champions.
"They've got the perfect team for the style of basketball that they want to play and what the NBA is today, so you understand why they're so good."
REUTERS
