Warriors now 17-0

In what is becoming the status quo for the mighty Warriors, guard Stephen Curry scored 41 points and made nine three-pointers as they stretched their unbeaten streak to start the season to an NBA-record 17 games. The Golden State Warriors are averaging 115.8 points on 49.1 percent shooting and allowing 99.8 points on 42.5 percent shooting.

Warriors’ record through 17 games: 17-0.

“We talk about 33”, Curry said in a conference call with global reporters. Because there are so many talented teams in this league and for us to just be playing at a high level right now, that’s what we’re anxious about.

“We’ve come to expect great things from our guys”.

The 3-point record could well have fallen had Curry not sat out the fourth quarter.

Reigning league MVP Curry drained a season-high nine three-pointers and added eight assists and six rebounds at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Draymond Green had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his third career triple-double, two this season. And the three-point shot is definitely something that’s more prevalent now than it ever has been. Alec Burks chipped in with 21 points while making 9 of 14 from the floor, a tremendous improvement after he averaged 10.3 points and went 9 for 36 over the three previous games.

Said Phoenix forward Markieff Morris, “They shoot threes like layups”.

T.J. Warren scored a career-high 28 points for the Suns in their third consecutive loss and fourth in five games. It is possible the streak could end tonight against a rising Suns team with a viable back court in Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight playing well.

Dating back to the 2014-15 campaign, the Warriors are 49-0 when holding the opposition to fewer than 100 points in the regular season.

“A lot of that is based on our ball movement”, Curry said. Tyson Chandler did not return after leaving the game in the first quarter with a strained right hamstring.

“We just need to refocus on our defense”, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. Since having Stephen Curry on the team, he has shown he got talent. “We didn’t do that”. The Clippers provided a road map for the next teams that will try to ding the ideal Warriors-disrupt lanes, cause turnovers, hit pretty much all of your shots-but even that may not be enough. Green turned into the runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year voting last year and the face of “death ball”.

“Afterward, it felt like a neutral site game at that point”, Curry said of what his play did to the crowd. They had a 75-point first half and led by as many as 20 points. The Suns couldn’t keep up at that 57% pace and the Warriors basically invited them back into the game with a sloppy start to the half.

Based on calculations performed before Saturday’s game, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index projects the Warriors will finish with 69 victories this season. The two have been given the nickname “Slash Brothers” after breaking the record for the most combined three-pointers in a season.