Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Stephen Curry delivered a majestic 52-point performance as the Golden State Warriors clinched a crucial victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, while Nikola Jokic bagged a career-high 61 points in vain as Denver lost a double overtime thriller to Minnesota.
Curry, the NBA’s all-time leader in three-point shooting, looked poised to set the single-game three-point record in the Warriors’ 134-125 defeat of the Grizzlies in Memphis. The 37-year-old finished with 12 three-pointers — just two shy of former teammate Klay Thompson’s record of 14 threes set in a single game against Chicago in 2018. Curry’s dazzling display helped the Warriors vault over the Grizzlies into fifth place in the Western Conference standings, edging them closer to an automatic playoff berth. The Warriors improved to 44-31 while the Grizzlies dropped to sixth place with a 44-32 record. The top six finishers in the West qualify automatically for the postseason.
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Curry’s masterpiece was his second 50-point game of the season and the 15th of his career, earning him lavish praise from Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “The guy’s 37 years old, it’s incredible,” Kerr said. “Fifty-two points with people draped all over him all game long. The conditioning, the skill, the audacity, the belief, it’s incredible to watch Steph at work. I can’t believe he’s still doing this at this age. But he’s put the work in and he’s still got it.”
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies’ scoring with 36 points while Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22.
– Westbrook woe –
Golden State’s win was upstaged later on Tuesday by a spellbinding slugfest in Denver, which saw the Timberwolves snatch a dramatic 140-139 win over Jokic and the Nuggets. Jokic looked to have done enough to secure victory for Denver after stitching together his 31st triple-double of the season, comprising 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. But in an epic finale, the Timberwolves snatched victory in the final seconds of the second period of overtime.
Two Jokic free throws put Denver 139-138 ahead with 18 seconds left on the clock, and the Nuggets appeared poised to stretch that lead to three points when Russell Westbrook drove up the court for what should have been a routine running layup. But Westbrook’s attempt with nine seconds remaining bounced off the glass, and the Wolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker grabbed the rebound to give Minnesota one last possession. Westbrook then compounded the error of his miss by giving up a personal foul as Alexander-Walker attempted a three-pointer on the buzzer. It meant Alexander-Walker had three attempts from the foul line to win the game, and the Canadian duly stepped up to make the first two free throws, clinching a momentous victory.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s scoring with 34 points, while Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle both finished with 26 points apiece. The Minnesota win leaves the battle for Western Conference playoff places on a knife edge heading into the final days of the regular season, which concludes on April 13. The Timberwolves are in seventh place in the West with a 44-32 record, just behind sixth-placed Memphis, who are also 44-32.
In other games, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points as the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 133-123 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are now in 11th place in the West with a 35-41 record, trailing the 10th-placed Sacramento Kings (36-39). Teams ranked 7th to 10th in the conference standings advance to a four-team play-in tournament that determines the final two playoff tickets.
The Indiana Pacers became the latest team to clinch their playoff place after the Atlanta Hawks slumped to a 127-113 home defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers. The result ensured that the Pacers, fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-31 record, are guaranteed a top-six finish.
© 2024 AFP
