OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson scored a season-high 45 points, Stephen Curry got going after halftime and so did the Golden State Warriors, who avenged one of their four losses this season by beating the Dallas Mavericks 127-107 on Wednesday night.
Curry hit three quick 3-pointers after intermission as Golden State overcame a sluggish first half, and the reigning MVP finished with a modest 14 points on a night the Warriors’ role players and bench provided a balanced effort.
Thompson had his second 40-point game of the season and sixth of his career, shooting 14 of 20, 7 for 12 on 3-pointers and making all 10 of his free throws.
Chandler Parsons scored 23 points for Dallas, which handed the Warriors their second loss of the season, 114-91 on Dec. 30 – but without Curry because of a lower left leg injury. It was Golden State’s largest loss of the four.
After going 1 for 8 in the first half and missing his first four from long range, Curry connected for his first 3 at the 10:02 mark of the third and had his team rolling again right away.
The Warriors ran their regular-season winning streak at Oracle Arena to 40 games, including 22-0 this season. The 40 straight home victories tied the Orlando Magic for second-longest home unbeaten run in NBA history behind the Chicago Bulls’ 44 from March 30, 1995, to April 4, 1996.
Golden State hasn’t lost at home in one calendar year, since falling 113-111 to the Bulls on Jan. 27, 2015. The Warriors also dished out 30 assists for a fifth straight game, first to do so since the 1994-95 Orlando Magic.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr went with a super-small lineup in the second quarter, and that was without Curry on the court. Golden State won its sixth in a row against Dallas at Oracle, shy of its seven-game unbeaten run at home in the series from 1991-94.
The Warriors, with 30-point wins in three of their previous four games, including 120-90 against the Spurs on Monday night, got 13 points from Harrison Barnes and 10 by Draymond Green.
Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki had the night off to rest following a 92-90 road win at the Lakers on Tuesday.
ALL-STAR RESERVES
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he considers Green “automatic” and is hopeful Thompson gets a spot when All-Star reserves are announced Thursday.
“The way I’ve always voted, when I have two people who are pretty even, I go with the team that’s winning,” Kerr said. “I think winning should be accounted for when you make your All-Star selections. The whole point of the game is to win. I think Klay deserves to be there – not only because of the way he’s played, but also because of the way the team has played.”
TIP-INS
Mavericks: G Devin Harris missed his second straight game with a strain in his left big toe that required an injection Tuesday, while C Zaza Pachulia sat out his third in a row because of an injured right Achilles tendon. … Former Stanford star Dwight Powell had 11 points and five rebounds.
Warriors: Curry moved into eighth place on the franchise scoring list. … F Kevon Looney made his NBA debut, the 11th former UCLA player to wear a Golden State uniform. He had two points and two rebounds, scoring on his first attempt. … Thompson had his 20th game with 20 or more points. … Curry has hit 34 straight free throws. … C Festus Ezeli sat out with a sore left knee that required an MRI exam Tuesday following Monday night’s win against San Antonio. … Kerr might rest some players during this stretch before the Feb. 14 All-Star Game in Toronto. “It’s a balance,” he said. “You want to give people rest if they need it.” Of his own health after complications from two back surgeries, he said getting good sleep is most important on the road. … Golden State now sets off on a three-game East Coast road trip.
