Curry Leads 4th Quarter Comeback As Warriors Beat Cavs 104-89
CLEVELAND (AP) – Stephen Curry scored 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three straight 3-pointers, and the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-89 on Thursday night.
Curry made 8 of 12 shots, including 4 of 7 3-pointers, in the final period to help Golden State outscore the Cavaliers 36-8. The Warriors ran off the first 17 points of the quarter to seize an 85-81 advantage, holding Cleveland to 12 consecutive empty possessions.
Nemanja Bjelica added 14 points, Andrew Wiggins had 12 points and Draymond Green had four points and 14 rebounds for Golden State. The Warriors improved to 13-2. They have won nine straight over the Cavaliers and are 17-1 against them since January 2017.
The injury-plagued Cavaliers dropped tp 9-8. The took an 81-68 lead into the fourth after Dean Wade batted in a layup as time expired in the third.
Darius Garland scored a season-high 25 points, Wade and Kevin Love had 17 points apiece, and Ed Davis added seven points and 14 points.
Cleveland was without four starters in rookie forward Evan Mobley (right elbow sprain), guard Collin Sexton (left knee meniscal tear), center Jarrett Allen (illness) and forward Lauri Markkanen (conditioning). Forward Cedi Osman (back spasms) was a late scratch.
Curry, who has a bruised left hip, finished 15 of 27 from the field, 9 of 16 beyond the arc and 1 of 1 from the foul line. The two-time MVP increased his NBA-best scoring average to 29.5 and had six assists and four rebounds.
FOUR BY FOUR
Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley — the No. 3 overall draft pick — will be out until December after his right elbow became entangled with Celtics center Enes Kanter on Monday night. The USC product is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game.
"Evan has some big shoes to fill, wearing No. 4 with the Cavs," joked Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who wore the same number in his final two seasons with Cleveland.
"He is a such well-rounded young player. He can score and is a good rebounder, and his defensive instincts, passing, mid-range shooting are solid. He has a real feel for the game."
TIP-INS
Warriors: G Andre Iguodala (left hip), who was named the 2015 NBA Finals MVP against Cleveland, sat out his third game of the season for injury management reasons. … G Klay Thompson (right Achilles tendon tear) last played in a game on June 13, 2019, while C James Wiseman (right knee) hasn't taken the court since April 10. … Assistant coach Mike Brown spent six seasons in charge of the Cavaliers.
Cavaliers: F Lauri Markkanen is practicing after being cleared from the NBA's health and safety protocols for COVID-19, but missed his ninth consecutive game. … F Lamar Stevens (right ankle) was inactive for the fourth game in a row. … G Ricky Rubio received the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his efforts to improve the lives of children and families with cancer in an on-court ceremony.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Detroit on Friday night.
Cavaliers: Host Brooklyn on Monday night.
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