By ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry hit a long 3-pointer with 1:52 left on the way to 21 points, Andrew Wiggins scored 27 and the Golden State Warriors beat the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, 116-109, on Wednesday night, Jan. 29.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 52 points for the Thunder, two off his career high set against the Utah Jazz a week earlier.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points in the opening 8:10, and 21 of his team’s 34 first-quarter points. He shot 16 for 29 and converted 18 of 21 free throws.
Curry returned after sitting out Tuesday’s win against the Jazz to rest his ailing knees and missed his initial five shots before connecting at the 10:46 mark of the second quarter.
Kevon Looney scored 18 off the bench and Gary Payton II had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Curry, coach Steve Kerr and two members of the Golden State staff received their championship rings from Grant Hill in a pregame ceremony for winning the Olympic gold medal last summer in Paris.
Meanwhile in New York, Jalen Brunson had 30 points and 15 assists, OG Anunoby scored 23 points and the New York Knicks beat the Denver Nuggets, 122-112, on Wednesday night, Jan. 29, for their fifth straight victory.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for New York. The Knicks who had a strong start aided by Nikola Jokic’s early foul trouble, then used a late spurt to pull away for good.
Jamal Murray scored 33 points for the Nuggets, who fell to 0-3 on their five-game trip. Jokic finished with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Jokic picked up two fouls in the first 1 1/2 minutes and went to the bench just over two minutes into the game after Anunoby blew by him to start a 15-0 run that gave the Knicks an 18-6 lead. Jokic didn’t return until 7:14 remained in the first half and the NBA leader with 21 triple-doubles didn’t reach double figures in any category until the fourth quarter.
In New Orleans, P.J. Washington scored 25 points, making all four of his 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter, and Kyrie Irving added 25 points and six assists as the Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Pelicans, 137-136.
Washington had missed all three of his long-range tries until he hit three in the first 4:16 of the final period. Daniel Gafford had 22 points, going 9 of 9 from the field, and added 12 rebounds and five blocks.
Klay Thompson had 20 points for Dallas, shooting 6 of 11 from deep. Washington grabbed 14 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.
Dallas scored 80 points in the second half, shooting 65.9% from the field. Trey Murphy led New Orleans with 32 points, and Zion Williamson had 29 points in 28 minutes.
In Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points to lead the 76ers past the Sacramento Kings, 117-104, for their fourth straight victory.
Maxey, who had his 12th consecutive game with 25 or more points, added eight assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 15 points, Eric Gordon added 14 and Ricky Council IV 13 for the 76ers, who have rebounded from a seven-game skid.
Malik Monk scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half for the Kings. Domantas Sabonis had his second straight triple-double and eighth of the season with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
In Phoenix, Anthony Edwards scored 33 points, Julius Randle added 28 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Suns, 121-113, for their fourth straight victory.
The Timberwolves trailed for much of the night, but rallied near the end of the third quarter for an 81-77 advantage. Nickeil Alexander-Walker made three 3-pointers early in the fourth to help Minnesota push to a 10-point lead.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 26 of his season-high 34 points in the first half, and the Boston Celtics coasted to a 122-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
