Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) signs autographs after working out before the start of their NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in Salt Lake City. AP
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah—The Golden State Warriors needed less than nine minutes to open a 24-point lead over the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
Stephen Curry scored 26 points and the Warriors controlled the Jazz from start to finish in a 106-99 victory.
Curry had 14 points during a 29-1 run that made it 29-5. The Jazz’s only lead of the game was 4-2.
“Loss of focus,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said about the second half. “Our first quarter was great, we pushed the ball and our defensive intensity was fantastic. I think we let down. We started turning it over some careless, purposeless plays.
“We didn’t really have an idea of what we were trying to accomplish. Some defensive mistakes not getting out on shooters and they took advantage.”
Kevin Durant added 21 points and 11 rebounds for Golden State.
Jazz center Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored a career-high 21 points, and Shelvin Mack added a season-high 19.
The Jazz have four starters sidelined by injuries, including their top three scorers.
“I didn’t do a good job of attacking throughout the game and I thought that was a good opportunity for me to attack,” Durant said about the fourth quarter.
Golden State led 65-46 at halftime as the second unit allowed the Jazz to hang around and, technically, remain within striking distance. The urgency from the first quarter disappeared in the second half and the Jazz crept within five in the fourth quarter thanks to buckets from Mack and Ingles, but Durant closed the game with 11 in the final period.
“What we’ve discussed is just roles,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said about surviving the injuries. “They can morph. They widen, they can narrow, they can do anything. Hopefully, on a team, guys are willing to evolve and adjust to what the team needs. That’s really all we emphasized.”