Stephen Curry scored 62 points to lead the Warriors to a 137-122 win over the Portland Trail Blazers and set a new career high Sunday night at Chase Center.
This was a much-needed victory for the Warriors (3-3), who lost to the Trail Blazers (3-3) by 25 points in the first of this two-game series on Friday. Curry set the tone early with 31 points in the first half and helped push the Warriors’ lead to 20 in the third quarter.
On a night when Curry’s free-throw streak ended with 80-straight makes, he set this career high not merely with 3-pointers (8 for 16 from beyond the arc) — as might be expected from one of the NBA’s all-time 3-point shooters — but with dazzling dribble moves, nifty layups and going 18-for-19 at the free-throw line.
Curry’s spectacular night set a building high, taking ownership of the record from Portland’s Damian Lillard (39 points on Nov. 4, 2019), who finished Sunday with 32 points and four assists and helped lead a late comeback effort.
Lillard’s back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter cut the Warriors’ 20-point lead to single digits, but Curry answered with a 3-pointer of his own to keep the Trail Blazers at a comfortable distance. His leaning pull-up jumper from 27 feet out with 42 seconds remaining put the finishing touch on his career game.
Draymond Green, playing in his second game this season after missing the first four with a foot injury, did not score until 2:14 to go, but finished with one point, eight assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes and helped make plays on offense and anchored the defense.
Overall, it was the strongest performance of the season from Golden State. Curry and Green were supported by James Wiseman (12 points, 11 rebounds), Kelly Oubre Jr. (17 points, five rebounds, two steals) and Andrew Wiggins (21 points, seven rebounds, two assists).
Defensively, the Warriors held Portland to 41.2% shooting overall, 31% from 3-point range and recorded seven blocks on the night.
They will try to carry this effort over to Monday, when they play the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. at Chase Center.
