Stephen Curry used seven 3-pointers to power a game-high, 35-point performance and the Golden State Warriors improved their chances of advancement in the NBA in-season tournament with a 118-112 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Friday night in San Francisco.
Dario Saric contributed 20 points off the bench as the Warriors (2-1) moved into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1) for second place in West Group C, with a showdown with the first-place Sacramento Kings (3-0) slated for the California capital on Tuesday.
Victor Wembanyama had 22 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Spurs (0-4), who completed their tournament schedule.
Making his first regular-season appearance in San Francisco, Wembanyama had nine early points and the Spurs led by as many as 10 in the first quarter before the hosts got the better of the final three periods.
Seeking to end a 10-game losing streak and down 110-95 after a Curry 3-pointer with just 2:49 to go, the Spurs made things interesting down the stretch, rallying within 110-106 before forcing a Golden State turnover with 55.1 seconds to go.
But Keldon Johnson misfired on a 3-pointer, and Curry and Klay Thompson put the game away at the free throw line, combining for eight straight.
Winning for just the second time in its last nine games, Golden State outperformed the visitors from beyond the arc, making 19 of 40 and outscoring the Spurs 57-36 from deep. Curry shot 7-for-13 on threes, Saric 4-for-7 and Thompson 3-for-7 to account for a majority of his 15 points.
Jonathan Kuminga chipped in with 12 points and Andrew Wiggins 10 for the Warriors, who were playing their fifth and final game of Draymond Green’s suspension. Golden State went 2-3 in those games.
Saric matched Kevon Looney with a team-high eight rebounds for the Warriors, while Chris Paul dished off a game-high 10 assists to go with five points.
Devin Vassell paced the Spurs with 24 points off the bench, while Johnson finished with a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double. Cedi Osman added 11 points off the bench.
–Field Level Media