Curry scores 44 as Warriors improve record

The Golden State Warriors improved to 22-0 on Sunday with a 114-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, with guard Stephen Curry scoring 11 of his 28 points in the final 2:10 of the third quarter. Each player also had seven assists. “I thought our effort was there, but again, consistency… to beat a great team like that there can’t be any “oh crap” moments, and we had a couple of those”. All I can do is suit up and try to go play hard every night. “You struggle sometimes. That’s our 11th win on the road this year so you have to give the guys in there so much credit, for even on games where we don’t really have it, finding ways to win”.

Marc Gasol led Memphis with 22 points, while Lee scored 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Kyle Lowry made six three-pointers and scored a career-high 41 points for the Raptors.

After a jumper by Joe Johnson, Ezeli found a cutting Curry, who converted a reverse layup plus the foul for a three-point play to open an 84-80 lead.

Coming off consecutive 40-point games, Curry was having a relatively quiet night before helping the Warriors regain control. The last five-point lead was 75-70 on a 3-pointer by guard Shane Larkin with 3:10 left. Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry (7) turns into Golden State Warriors’ Marries Speights as he looks to lay off a pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015.

The lead was down to one when Scola made two free throws with 6.2 seconds left. But then Lowry missed the free throw, the two teams got into a back and forth of fouling, and on the Raps’ final chance, there was Curry knocking the ball off Joseph, separating the great from the good, rolling things back down the hill on the Raptors. Former Washington State standout Klay Thompson added 26 points for the Warriors. DeMar DeRozan added 16 points but shot just 5-of-19 from the field.

“They are 21-0 for a reason”, said Raptors coach Dwane Casey.

Curry scored 16 points to lead Golden State to a 32-21 first-quarter lead.

In total, Curry has eclipsed 40 points on seven different occurrences this season, surpassing the six that he had all of last season. Defensively, the Nets yield 102.3 points per game. Cody Zeller and Kemba Walker had 17 points apiece for the Hornets, who played their first road game since November 17 in NY.

The Nets fought back from a 17-point first-half deficit to take a lead in the third quarter before the Warriors tightened up on defense and put the ball in Curry’s hands on offense. Warriors lead 59-49.

According to Elias Sports, the win moved the Warriors past the 1884 St. Louis Maroons, who were the only other major pro sports team to start a season with 20 straight wins.

The Raptors will host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

Hollins said he has known Walton since he was a baby.

Goran Dragic scored 17 points, Chris Bosh added 14 and Gerald Green had 12 for the Heat, who held Cleveland to 36 percent shooting and sent the Cavaliers to their third straight loss.