Stephen Curry got the Warriors’ franchise scoring record and celebrated with a convincing win over the fourth-place Denver Nuggets.
It took only one quarter for Curry, who entered the game 19 points behind Wilt Chamberlain, to assume the title of the Warriors’ all-time leading scorer. But it took a blistering performance over 36 minutes, in which he scored 53 points, to defeat the Nuggets 116-107 Monday night at Chase Center.
While the early focus was on Curry and the Warriors’ record, once his driving layup with 1:40 to go in the first quarter sent him over the milestone, a win over the title-contending Nuggets (34-20) was clearly in reach as his 21-point first quarter set Golden State (26-28) up with an early lead.
After a back-and-forth second and early third quarter, the Warriors led by one midway through the third when Draymond Green flipped the ball to Curry in transition for an open 3-pointer. Green, who finished with 18 points and seven assists, high-fived Curry as they ran back on defense.
Curry broke the game open with 18 points in the period, including a 27-footer to highlight a 10-0 run that gave Golden State a 16-point lead heading into the final frame. His free throws with 4:03 remaining gave him his ninth 50-point game for his career and his seventh straight game with at least 30 points.
It didn’t take long for Curry to pass Chamberlain’s mark. Curry scored 11 points in the first 6 minutes, including a pair of 3-pointers in the opening 1 1/2 minutes. He then made a pair of free throws and three more 3-pointers to put him in position for the milestone 17,784th point.
Then, with 1:40 left in the first, Curry put his head down and drove past Nuggets guard P.J. Dozier and shouldered his way through center JaVale McGee before finishing with a right-handed layup. As he ran back on defense, Curry blew a kiss to the rafters where Chamberlain’s No. 13 hangs.
Curry poured it in from all over the court, shooting 14-for-24 overall including 10-for-18 on 3-pointers and 15-for-16 from the free-throw line. He dazzled with his dribble, pulled up for patented moonshots and flexed with the kind of confidence reserved for the all-time greats.
If not for a late Nuggets run, Curry may not have needed to finish the game. Michael Porter Jr. (24 points and nine rebounds) cut the lead to seven with 1:16 to go. Soon after, Denver’s star guard Jamal Murray went down with an apparent knee injury and was helped to the locker room. He finished with 17 points and four assists. Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets’ MVP candidate, finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
In the end, Curry’s free throws with 28.7 seconds sealed the win and punctuated a night headlined by a career achievement and signature win over one of the Western Conference’s elite teams.
