SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Stephen Curry scored 23 of his 38 points in the third quarter and the Golden State Warriors withstood another injury to rookie James Wiseman to beat the Houston Rockets 125-109 on Saturday night.
Curry had his sixth straight 30-point game, the longest streak of his career. The two-time MVP made eight 3-pointers and had five assists and eight rebounds.
Andrew Wiggins added 25 points for Golden State. Jordan Poole had 21.
John Wall had 30 points and seven assists for Houston. Kelly Olynyk added 18 points and 11 rebounds. The Rockets have lost nine of 11.
“Steph was tremendous,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The shot-making, not just the 3s but some of the shots he hit around the basket. He had a highlight reel worth of plays out there tonight.”
Curry had five 3s and scored Golden State’s final 20 points in the third quarter. He also made a brilliant three-point play that left Wall stunned.
Curry dribbled around Wall near the arc, bounced the ball behind his back to his right hand then banked in the layup and was fouled. The two-time MVP, who playfully flexed during pregame introductions, ran up the nearby stands then returned to the court and made the free throw to make it 80-65.
“We started the game better, better energy,” Curry said. “Turned it over a little bit too much, got a little sloppy in the middle but our intentions were good, our aggressiveness was there.”
Wiseman, the second overall pick in the draft who missed 11 games earlier this season with a wrist injury, was shaken up in the second quarter when his dunk attempt was blocked hard by KJ Martin. Wiseman fell awkwardly on his right side and got up limping before being taken to the locker room for further examination on his right knee. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI.
Houston trailed by 20 and got to 105-93 on D.J. Augustin’s 3-pointer. Wiggins, who had 19 in the first half, made two free throws, Mychal Mulder followed with a layup and the Warriors pulled away.
“They were getting out and running on us,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said “It wasn’t just the fast-break points. It was very much our frustration with missing shots, our frustration with the referees, and then not running back in a way we could get matched up.”
GUEST ON THE MIC
Former San Quentin inmate Aaron Taylor served as guest public address announcer for the game at Chase Center. Taylor met Warriors director of team development Kent Lacob when the team would send a squad of players to play a team of prisoners at the nearby prison in Northern California. Taylor, nicknamed “Showtime,” served as the play-by-play man for the San Quentin Warriors.
Taylor interviewed Curry after the game and was doused by a bottle of water by Kent Bazemore.
“He’s got a great story to tell,” Curry said. “It was a nice little change of atmosphere and he brought a lot of juice and energy. It was awesome.”
TIP-INS
Rockets: Wall returned to the lineup for Houston after sitting out Friday’s loss to the Clippers because of injury management. Wall has been slowed by hip, left knee, hamstring and Achilles issues. … Augustin scored 19 points. … Houston fell to 2-37 in games it has trailed by double-digits this season.
Warriors: Kelly Oubre Jr. did not play because of a sprained left wrist he injured a night earlier. Oubre landed hard after attempting a dunk against Washington’s Robin Lopez in the first half. Bazemore had nine points and six rebounds in place of Oubre. … Rick Barry is the last Warriors player to score 30 or more in six straight games, accomplishing the feat in 1974.
UP NEXT
Rockets: At Phoenix on Monday night.
Warriors: Host Denver on Monday night.
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