Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Stephen Curry scored 40 points as the Golden State Warriors rallied back from a double-digit deficit for a second straight game to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 121-119 on Thursday. Curry — who scored 28 points in the Warriors’ comeback victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday — was in superb form as Golden State climbed out of a 22-point first quarter hole to grab a third consecutive road win.
Curry’s 40-point haul included seven three-pointers from 13 attempts, with the pick being a jaw-dropping heave from near halfway to end the first half. That highlight reel-worthy moment made it a five-point game at the break as the Warriors roared back to life after being outscored by a whopping 35-15 in the first quarter. The Warriors found their rhythm in the second period, pouring in 40 points to the Nets’ 25 before going on to complete the comeback after the interval.
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Curry was backed by 25 points from Jimmy Butler while Gary Payton II added 16 from the bench. Cameron Johnson led Brooklyn’s scoring with 26 points. The Warriors improved to 35-28 and are now sixth in the Western Conference as they chase a return to the postseason after missing out last year.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, the Boston Celtics maintained their pursuit of the Cleveland Cavaliers at the top of the Eastern Conference after cruising past an injury-depleted Philadelphia 76ers 123-105. The Sixers, missing Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, were never in the hunt as the Celtics completed a wire-to-wire victory to improve to 45-18 in the East, 7.5 games back from leaders Cleveland.
Jayson Tatum led the rout for Boston with 35 points, while the in-form Payton Pritchard came up big from the bench with 19 points. The only down note for the Celtics came in the second quarter when Derrick White was forced to leave the game after losing a tooth in a physical tussle with the Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. White left the game but returned in the second half wearing a mouthguard.
In other games on Tuesday, the Atlanta Hawks downed the Indiana Pacers 124-118 while the Chicago Bulls outmuscled the Orlando Magic 125-123. In New Orleans, the Houston Rockets overpowered the Pelicans 109-97.
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