Birthday boy Stephen Curry calls the tune for Golden State
Golden State star Stephen Curry celebrated his 33rd birthday yesterday morning (Singapore time) with a 32-point performance that propelled the Warriors to a 131-119 win over the NBA-leading Utah Jazz.
Curry connected on 63 per cent of his shots in a 14-point first quarter when the Warriors seized a lead they wouldn't relinquish. He had 10-of-20 from the field with six three-pointers.
"It's like that ageing wine, right?" Curry said. "Keep it in the cellar and watch it get stronger and better, so I'm just enjoying the ride."
Andrew Wiggins added 28 points and Draymond Green put up a triple-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for the Warriors, who bounced back from a 130-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last Thursday in which Curry made just one three-pointer.
The Warriors, who hadn't won since Feb 26, also reversed their fortunes against a Jazz team that had beaten them five straight times.
In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and Serbian rookie Aleksej Pokusevski added a career-high 23 as the Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-122 despite having just nine available players.
Pokusevski, 19, made five from beyond the arc, the second-youngest player to do so after LeBron James, who achieved the feat at 18.
"My teammates believe in me," Pokusevski said."They kept talking to me, every time I missed a shot, (they said) just keep playing and everything is going to be good. When I have teammates like that, everything's great."
"Poku" also pulled down 10 rebounds, surpassing former NBA Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant as the youngest player in franchise history to notch a double-double.- AFP
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