OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 22 points, Stephen Curry had 20 points and eight assists, and the Golden State Warriors matched a franchise record with their 16th consecutive home win in impressive fashion, whipping the Denver Nuggets 122-79 on Monday.
The NBA-leading Warriors (33-6) out did Denver (18-23) in nearly every major category, including shooting percentage (54.3 percent to 34.5 percent), rebounds (53 to 39), assists (30 to 17), blocks (six to three) and steals (10 to nine).
Ty Lawson had 19 points and six assists, and Jameer Nelson had 14 points and five assists for the Nuggets, who have lost three in a row.
Tayshaun Prince scored the Celtics’ last basket while playing 20 minutes in his debut after being traded from Memphis last week.
Thornton’s 3-pointer drew the Celtics to 91-88 with under four minutes to play. It was Boston’s fifth 3 of the quarter. The Clippers kept Boston at bay from the free throw line, making 6 of 10 to end the game. Griffin hit all four of his attempts, while Jordan was just 1 of 4.
Turner turned the ball over on an inbounds play, wasting a possession with 1 1/2 minutes to go.
Boston reduced its 23-point deficit to eight on Smart’s second 3-pointer of the fourth. He and Kelly Olynk combined to score the Celtics’ first 13 points of the quarter against the Clippers’ reserves.
That forced Clippers coach Doc Rivers to gradually bring back all of the starters to finish off a victory.
Jordan, Griffin and Redick combined to power a 24-11 run that opened the third, extending the Clippers’ lead to 71-48 — their largest of the game. Griffin scored 10, including their first six, Jordan added eight and Redick hit a pair of 3-pointers.
Bass keyed the Celtics’ offense over the final 3:35, when they outscored the Clippers 14-3 to trail 74-62 heading into the fourth. He had eight points, scoring their final seven in a row to go with 3-pointers from Smart and Thornton.
TIP-INS
Celtics: They fell to 0-4 against the West to start the trip. … Boston is 4-13 on the road and has lost three in a row away from home as well as 12 of its last 15.
Clippers: Reserve F Glen Davis addressed the crowd before the game on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. “We all know what he stood for, so I want you to point to your neighbor and say, ‘I love you and go Clippers!'”
UP NEXT
Celtics: At Portland on Thursday.
Clippers: Host Brooklyn on Thursday.
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