NBA: Steph Curry, Warriors beat Lakers team missing LeBron James
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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry celebrates a 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
SAN FRANCISCO— Stephen Curry scored 32 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and had eight assists, leading the Golden State Warriors past a Los Angeles Lakers team missing LeBron James 128-110 on Thursday night as both returned from the NBA All-Star break.
With his 6,000th career assist, Curry became the eighth player in NBA history with at least 23,000 points and 6,000 assists — joining James, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and John Havlicek.
Curry made nine of his initial 12 shots with five 3s for 25 points by halftime after scoring 16 in the opening period. He had five straight shortly before halftime as the Warriors led 67-56 at the break — his 16th time this season with at least 20 in one half.
READ: NBA: Steph Curry hits last-second triple, Warriors beat Suns
The two-time MVP hit six or more 3-pointers for the fifth time in six games and wound up shooting 12 for 24 on the way to his fourth 30-point performance in the last six games.
Anthony Davis had 27 points and 15 rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell contributed 18 points, nine assists and five rebounds to lead the Lakers, who were without James because of a left ankle injury that also sidelined the 39-year-old forward Feb. 14 at Utah before the break.
Stephen highlights?
STEPHEN HIGHLIGHTS 📽️ pic.twitter.com/vZtieFDYPK— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 23, 2024
Los Angeles had its three-game winning streak snapped with just a second defeat in eight games — and this one was a drastic difference from the last meeting when the Lakers rallied from 15 points down to beat the Warriors 145-144 in double overtime at Chase Center on Jan. 27.
Andrew Wiggins added 20 points for Golden State, while rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis came off the bench to score 17 on his 24th birthday. Jonathan Kuminga reached double figures for a career-best 34th straight game with 12 points as the Warriors won for the ninth time in 11 games since that loss to the Lakers.
James had a triple-double in that game with 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists.
READ: LeBron James wants to retire a Laker but has no NBA exit timetable
Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham called LeBron’s injury a “day-to-day thing.”
“When we wake up in the morning we’ll figure it out,” Ham said.
LeBron has left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, inflammation of the tendons on the outside of his foot.
Klay Thompson missed his first six shots and two 3s before connecting from deep with 45 seconds remaining in the third and finished with just three points on 1-for-9 shooting but had five assists and four rebounds.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr expects veteran guard Chris Paul to return on the upcoming trip after recovering from surgery for a fractured left hand.
NEXT SCHEDULE
Lakers: Host San Antonio on Friday night.
Warriors: Host Charlotte on Friday night.
