Angry Curry getting hotter

LOS ANGELES • Stephen Curry is playing like a man possessed at the moment.

After draining a game-high 33 points on Sunday, the All-Star, who is averaging a National Basketball Association-leading 28.4 points per game this season, became the quickest player in history to make 100 three-pointers in a season, breaking his previous record (in 20 games) by one.

The guard came alive late on as the Golden State Warriors shook off a sloppy start to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-90 on the road to post their seventh straight NBA victory and improve their record to a league-best 18-2.

With both teams turning the ball over and missing shots, it was close at half-time, with the visitors leading 44-42 at the Staples Centre.

Golden State extended that lead with an 11-2 scoring burst to open the third quarter, and never trailed in the second half, posting their 42nd straight game with at least 100 points scored.

It looked like that streak might end, but Curry scored 13 points in the final frame as the Warriors pushed the lead to as many as 21 points after seeing it dwindle to just two late in the third period.

He was incensed at not getting a foul call as he drove for a lay-up with 9min 11sec left in the fourth quarter and received a technical foul for yelling at a referee.

The incident appeared to galvanise Curry, who finished by shooting 53.8 per cent from the field while handing out six assists and pulling down five rebounds.

Afterwards, he blasted the call, saying it lit a fire under him.

"It was kind of a B.S. T (technical foul)," he added.

"You have those moments and decisions of where you're going to put your energy at, and obviously, I thought that I got fouled so I wanted to let the emotions out and then you let it go and then you just play basketball.

Golden State Warriors' win over the LA Clippers on Sunday was their 42nd straight game with at least 100 points scored.

"For me individually and for our team, I think we fuelled off that and just worried about putting the ball in the basket and that's when the avalanche started."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said: "It was as upset as I've seen Steph in a long time. And it was as upset as I've been in a long time, too. It's kind of a miracle that I didn't get a technical, but it seemed to get him going.

"He doesn't do it often, but when he knows he's right, the competitor in him comes out and he'll kind of lose his mind a little bit, but it often spurs him, like it did in this instance."

The Clippers, who were paced by 30 points from Paul George, came into the game having won eight of their last 10 home games, but could not deal with Curry's intensity.

Golden State's victory over a fellow NBA championship contender now sets them up nicely for today's showdown with another title-chasing team in the Phoenix Suns.

Last year's NBA finalists are just as hot as the Warriors, boasting a 17-3 record - second in the NBA - and have won 16 straight.

On today's clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Western Conference, Warriors forward Draymond Green said: "So you've got to try and cut the head of the snake off whenever you're trying to stop anyone's attack, but overall, I think it will be a good game.

"Highly anticipated. Two teams that are playing well - obviously, they've won 16 in a row, you want to be the team to go stop that and you got a great opportunity to do it."

In Los Angeles, LeBron James recorded 33 points and nine assists to help the Lakers notch a 110-106 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE