Warriors win as battle of NBA best and worst goes to wire

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, blocks a shot by Philadelphia 76ers’ JaKarr Sampson during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Philadelphia. Golden State won 108-105. AP

LOS ANGELES, United States — Golden State’s Harrison Barnes drained a three-pointer with two-tenths of a second left as the mighty Warriors held on for a 108-105 victory over the 76ers in a duel of the NBA’s best and worst in Philadelphia.

Up by 24 midway through the third period and by 15 with 5:42 remaining, the reigning champion Warriors appeared headed for a predictable win over the lowly 76ers.

But they had to fight to the wire to improve to 43-4, matching the 1966-67 76ers for best 47-game start in NBA history while the current Sixers fell to 7-41.

READ: NBA: Warriors avenge Mavericks defeat, march on

A 20-5 late 76ers scoring run included seven points from guard Ish Smith.

Smith’s steal and breakaway dunk with 22.3 seconds left knotted the score at 105-105.

On the final Warriors’ possession, guard Stephen Curry fired a pass from the right wing to forward Draymond Green at the top of the circle.

He found Barnes in the right corner for the winning three-pointer.

“He always shoots a tremendous percentage from the corner,” Green said of Barnes. “It’s like a layup for him.”

Guard Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 32 points. Curry finished with 23 points, while Green contributed 10 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Barnes, who had made just three of 10 shots until his game-winner, finished with 11 points.

Guard Isaiah Canaan scored 18 points off the bench for Philadelphia, including a four-point play with 38.6 seconds left.

Thompson, who notched a season-high 45 points in a victory over Dallas on Wednesday night, had 21 in Saturday’s first half, staking the Warriors to a 73-54 lead.

Despite a welter of turnovers that totalled 23 for the game, Golden State were up 100-85 after Thompson made a layup with 5:42 to play before Philadelphia stormed back, electrifying a sell-out crowd — many of whom had turned out to cheer the Warriors.

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