OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Kevin Durant had 33 points and 13 rebounds, Stephen Curry contributed 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-99 on Friday night for their seventh straight win.
Klay Thompson scored 22 points and hit consecutive 3-pointers 50 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter to put Golden State ahead 91-89 with 10:17 to play. Draymond Green then got back-to-back baskets, one helped by goaltending.
Derrick Rose played five minutes in the first quarter and scored three points, then didn’t return because of left ankle soreness – two nights after the 2011 MVP scored a career-high 50 points in a victory against Utah.
“Amazing story just in terms of what he’s been through,” Curry said of Rose’s feat. “It’s great for him, comeback story all about opportunity, believing in yourself.”
Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 22 points. Minnesota was outrebounded 61-39.
Jimmy Butler scored 21 for Minnesota after sitting out Wednesday to rest. Tyus Jones also returned and had eight points on 3-for-11 shooting after missing the win over the Jazz because of a sore right foot.
Durant made his first six shots, and eight of the initial 11 he took, on the way to 20 points in the first half. Green had seven of his 11 assists by the 4:40 mark of the opening quarter and has 61 assists over the past six games. He also had nine points and nine boards.
Alfonzo McKinnie added eight points and eight rebounds off the bench in the Warriors’ fifth straight home victory against the T-Wolves.
Both teams shot 50 percent or better in the first quarter.
RAPTORS 107, SUNS 98.
In Phoenix, the Toronto Raptors weren’t at their best, but good enough to pull away from the Phoenix Suns for another victory in the best start to a season in the Canadian franchise’s history.
Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points and the Raptors used a 14-2 fourth-quarter run to finally put away the pesky Phoenix Suns, 107-98.
Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and Serge Ibaka 14 for the Raptors, who improved to 8-1, the best nine-game start in franchise history. Kyle Lowry had 11 points and 12 assists.
“It is a 48 minute game and I think we are playing pretty good basketball for about 28 minutes right now,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “We got to stretch that. I don’t think we will ever get to 48 minutes, but we want to get in the 40s probably after the new year.”
Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, had 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Suns, losers of seven in a row since winning their season opener. Isaiah Canaan scored 19 and Devin Booker 18 for Phoenix. Booker returned after missing three games with a strained hamstring.
Phoenix trailed by only four early in the fourth quarter before Toronto’s decisive 14-2 surge.
