Overcoming themselves as well as the scrappy Nets on Sunday in Brooklyn, the Warriors on Sunday night maintained their season-long perfection.
Steph Curry scored a game-high 28 points and the Warriors cranked up the defense in the second half and came away with way a 114-98 victory at Barclays Center.
Draymond Green fired in 22 points, Klay Thompson put in 21, Festus Ezeli finished with 12 and Leandro Barbosa added 11 as the Warriors record this season improved to 22-0, an ongoing record to start a season.
The victory also lifted their overall win streak to 26 and their road record this season to 12-0, while giving the defending champs their first win in Brooklyn since Dec. 7, 2012.
The Nets fought back from a 17-point first-half deficit to take a lead in the third quarter before the Warriors tightened up on defense and put the ball in Curry’s hands on offense.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Stop me if you’ve seen or heard this before: It’s Curry.
It was Curry who bounced out of a third-quarter timeout and took over the game, scoring 16 points in the quarter – 11 in final 2:10.
His line: 28 points (11-of-17 shooting, 5-of-9 beyond the arc), five rebounds and two assists.
Special mention goes to Ezeli, who anchored the back line of the defense, blocking four shots
TURNING POINT:
After a Shane Larkin 3-pointer gave Brooklyn a 75-70 lead with 3:10 left in the third quarter, the Warriors closed the quarter on a 17-5 run to go up 87-80 and take command entering the fourth quarter.
Curry scored 11 points in the final 2:10 of that quarter.
The Warriors turned to the bench to open the fourth quarter, and they took less than six minutes expand the lead to 106-89 with 6:59 left in the quarter.
The Nets never got closer than 16 the rest of the way.
INJURY UPDATE:
Warriors: C Andrew Bogut was listed as questionable but was cleared to play an hour before tipoff. F Harrison Barnes (L ankle sprain) and F Kevon Looney (hip surgery) were listed as out and placed on the inactive list.
Nets: G/F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (R ankle sprain) and G/F Sergey Karasev (L ankle sprain) did not dress. F/C Andrea Bargnani (L hamstring tightness) and F Chris McCullough (R knee surgery rehab) were listed as out and placed on the inactive list.
WHAT’S NEXT:
The Warriors travel to Indianapolis, where on Tuesday night they face the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. PDT.
