Stephen Curry shook off a difficult opening half to dominate after the break, scoring 18 of his 26 points in the second half as the Golden State Warriors pulled away from the Orlando Magic for a convincing 120-97 victory on Monday night.
Jimmy Butler added 21 points as Golden State took control with a strong finish, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Playing through soreness in his left ankle, Curry struggled early, missing his first six attempts from beyond the arc and starting just 3-for-13 from the field. He finally found his shooting rhythm with a 3-pointer at the 8:20 mark of the third quarter, cutting Orlando’s lead to 71-69. That basket sparked a decisive 14-4 run that shifted the momentum firmly in the Warriors’ favor.
The two-time NBA MVP finished 10-of-23 shooting overall, connecting on four of his 13 attempts from long range. He also recorded six assists and was responsible for two of Golden State’s eight steals.
Orlando was led by Paolo Banchero, who posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, while Desmond Bane scored 20 points in the opener of a road back-to-back for the Magic.
For Golden State, Moses Moody chipped in 20 points, and Brandin Podziemski provided a boost off the bench with 16 points, five assists and four rebounds. Draymond Green contributed nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes, his first game since being ejected early in the second quarter of Saturday’s contest against Phoenix.
Buddy Hield, whose streak of 199 consecutive regular-season games played ended in Saturday’s 119-116 win over the Suns, knocked down a late 3-pointer. Jonathan Kuminga remained sidelined as he continued to recover from an illness.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he hopes to have center Al Horford available Thursday after he missed seven games due to irritation in his right sciatic nerve.