OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Klay Thompson scored 27 points, Kevin Durant added 22 points, six rebounds and six assists, and the Golden State Warriors used a big third quarter and ran their winning streak to eight games by beating the Memphis Grizzlies, 117-101, on Monday night.
Stephen Curry overcame a slow start to score 19 points, and the Warriors used a 34-15 third quarter to pull away. That marked a season-low scoring total for any quarter by the Grizzlies.
At 10-1, the Warriors are off to the second-best start in franchise history behind the team of three years ago that began 24-0. The 1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors were 9-0 before losing four straight.
Thompson’s contested 3 moments before the halftime buzzer sent the teams into intermission tied at 58, then the Warriors took off the way they do resemblant of their signature third quarters last season.
Curry’s 3-pointer with 3:14 left in the third put the Warriors up by 10, 81-71, before Durant followed with back-to-back jumpers. Curry blocked a shot by Wayne Selden at the rim to end the third, sending the two-time defending champions into a frenzy.
Curry shot 1 of 7 in the opening quarter with a single 3 accounting for his point total.
Dillon Brooks came off the bench to score 11 of his 18 points in the first quarter to help the Grizzlies take a 31-29 lead. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Shelvin Mack scored 15 apiece for Memphis.
HEAT 120, PISTONS 115, OT
In Detroit, Josh Richardson scored 27 points to lead short-handed Miami past Detroit in overtime.
Richardson hit four clinching free throws in the final 2.1 seconds, ending Miami’s three-game skid. Detroit has dropped five in a row.
The Heat played without center Hassan Whiteside, who is second in the NBA in rebounding (14.6 per game) and blocked shots (2.75). Whiteside missed the game with an injured right knee.
Kelly Olynyk, filling Whiteside’s spot on the floor, scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half. Goran Dragic had 21 points and Dwyane Wade contributed 18 off the bench.
