Steph Curry took over for the Golden State Warriors late in an overtime win over the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center.
Steph Curry tied the game late in regulation before leading the charge in overtime as the Golden State Warriors won their home opener at Chase Center over the Denver Nuggets, 137-131, in San Francisco on Thursday night.
Curry, who had struggled in the early goings of the match, emerged victorious in a personal battle with Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon, as the latter unleashed a career-high 50-point outing on a highly efficient 17-of-21 shooting night.
Golden State had to be patient before Curry found his rhythm in the third quarter, as Golden State battled back from a nine-point deficit at halftime, 70-61.
Curry’s heroics included a personal 12-point barrage in the last five minutes of regulation where no other Warrior scored. His most important shot was a game-tying triple that knotted the game, 120-all, with 22 seconds left in the fourth.
Nikola Jokic missed on the potential game-winning basket in the last seconds which sent the game into an extra period.
In overtime, Curry was also the first to score, breaking the tie with a triple a minute into the action, 123-120.
Even as Jokic pulled the Nuggets ahead, 125-123, with 3:13 left in overtime, the Warriors uncorked a finishing 12-2 run that got them ahead by eight, 135-127, after a Curry layup with 24 seconds left in the period.
Curry finished the game with 42 points, making six triples in the process. He also had six rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and a block as the Warriors are now 2-0 for the season.
Jimmy Butler added 21 points, five rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
Jokic finished with a triple-double of 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in the losing effort for Denver who are now 0-1.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.