NBA Roundup: Warriors dynamic duo cools off Heat
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors makes a free-throw during the final seconds game at the American Airlines Arena on February 24, 2016 in Miami, Florida. Rob Foldy/Getty Images/AFP
Reigning league MVP Stephen Curry and guard Klay Thompson combined for 75 points as the Golden State Warriors rallied to beat Miami 118-112 on Wednesday for their 14th win in the last 15 games.
Curry finished with 42 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to lead Golden State’s offensive juggernaut which recently became the quickest team in NBA history to 50 wins.
“That’s Steph and Klay and that’s what they do,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “When they both do it on the same night that is when we are tough to beat.”
The Warriors lead the league in three point accuracy and nobody does it better than Curry. He tied an NBA record Wednesday with his 127th straight game with a three-pointer.
The milestone basket came on his first points of the contest in front of a crowd of 19,900 at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena. Curry can pass Atlanta Hawks forward Kyle Korver for the record with another three pointer when the Warriors visit Orlando on Thursday.
Thompson had a streak of 15 straight Warriors points in the fourth quarter.
“We are moving the ball and playing unselfish,” said Thompson. “It is contagious. It is beautiful basketball and fun to watch.”
The Warriors also got 10 points and 11 rebounds from forward Draymond Green.
The Heat were led by guard Dwyane Wade’s 32 points — his second 30-plus game this season. The Heat also got 21 points and 13 rebounds from centre Hassan Whiteside and a career-high 15 points from guard Josh Richardson.
The Warriors have now won four straight over the Heat who suffered just their fourth loss in their last 13 and their first since the all-star break.
Frye sizzles as Cavs burn Hornets
Elsewhere, LeBron James rebounded from one of his worst games of the season to score 23 points and Channing Frye came off the bench to score 15 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-103.
James equalled a season low with 12 points and committed six turnovers in Monday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Frye, who was playing just his second game with Cleveland, had essentially fallen out of favour with the Orlando Magic before his trade to the Cavaliers.
“It took me a little bit to get used to being open like that,” Frye said of Wednesday’s win. “When they start yelling at you to shoot the ball, you just have to say, ‘Screw it’ and start shooting.”
James draws all the attention so he made sure to find Frye when he was the open man.
“I told him to shoot every time I throw it to him,” James said. “Because I won’t throw it to him unless I know he’s got a shot.”
Kyrie Irving scored 23 points and J.R. Smith had 16 for the Cavaliers, who won for the sixth time in their last seven games. Cleveland centre Tristan Thompson grabbed 10 rebounds and Australian guard Matthew Dellavedova had 10 points and seven assists off the bench.
George powers Pacers
Paul George scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half and rookie Myles Turner scored 24, helping the Indiana Pacers hold off New York for a 108-105 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
New York, who got 22 points from rookie Kristaps Porzingis and 20 from Jose Calderon, had an opportunity to take the lead with 11 seconds remaining, but Porzingis missed a three-pointer. Turner grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He stepped up to the line and made one of two free throws.
The Knicks had one last chance to tie, but Carmelo Anthony failed to connect on a three-pointer with less than a second to play.
