Curry climbs up NBA scoring list as Warriors edge Celtics

MANILA, Philippines -- Stephen Curry moved up the NBA scoring list after leading the Golden State Warriors over the Boston Celtics, 118-112, at the TD Garden in Boston on Thursday morning (Manila time).

Curry finished with 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to go with four steals and a block.

During the game, the NBA’s best shooter in history leapfrogged legend Charles Barkley, who scored 23,757 points in his 16-year career.

At the end of the game, Curry is now sitting at 29th with 23,774 points.

The Warriors and the defending champions were kept in a close game in the fourth, with the game going to a nip-and-tuck contest in the final minutes.

After a 3-pointer by Derrick White pushed the Celtics’ lead to seven, 95-88, with 6:46 remaining, Andrew Wiggins and Steph Curry teamed up to cut the lead to two, 93-95, with 5:28 remaining.

Jrue Holiday answered with a layup, but Curry pulled up from deep and made it a one-point lead.

Wiggins then connected on a jumper to take the lead for the Warriors, but Jayson Tatum sank a jumper to retake the advantage for the Celtics, 99-98.

Curry and Buddy Hield would then team up to push the lead back to the Warriors’ favor, 104-99, before Tatum had an and-one play to cut the lead to two, 102-104.

Putbacks by Kevon Looney and a late dagger triple by Hield kept Boston at bay, but they would just not give up.

Three free throws by Payton Pritchard made it a one possession game, 112-115, with mere seconds remaining, but free throws by Draymond Green and Kyle Anderson iced the game.
Wiggins and Hield had 16 points apiece for Golden State.

Tatum finished with 32 markers for the Celtics, while Derrick White had 26.

The Warriors have thus won five straight games and rose to 7-1, while Boston dropped to 7-2.

In Phoenix, Kevin Durant hit a clutch midrange jumper to tow the Phoenix Suns over the Miami Heat, 115-112.

After an and-one play by Miami’s Haywood Highsmith to make it a two point game, 110-112, the ball went to Durant’s hands. He then hit the patented midrange jumper to give the Suns a comfortable four point advantage, 114-110.

After Tyler Herro finished on a layup to cut the lead to two anew, a split from the line by Devin Booker made it a 3-point lead, 115-112 with 4.6 seconds left.

The Heat had the chance to tie the game up, but Jimmy Butler passed the ball to Herro with time winding down to squander Miami’s chance.

Durant finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Booker had 22 markers and nine dimes, and Jusuf Nurkic had 20 and 18.

Herro spearheaded Miami with 28 points.

For their part, the Denver Nuggets squeaked past Oklahoma City, 124-122, to deal the Thunder’s first loss in the season.

A clutch block by Denver’s Peyton Watson on the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander saved the game for the Nuggets.

Russell Westbrook turned back the hands of time with a vintage performance of 29 points, six rebounds and six assists on 10-of-15 shooting. Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun had 24 apiece, while Nikola Jokic had a monster statline of 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists.

Jalen Williams had 29 points for the Thunder, to go with 10 rebounds and nine assists. Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points and six assists.

In Memphis, the Grizzlies weathered a 39 point explosion by LeBron James to win, 131-114.

Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells and Jaren Jackson Jr. all had 20 markers each for the home team.

James had 39 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Lakers, who played without Anthony Davis.

In other games, a clutch putback by Brandon Miller also saved the Charlotte Hornets over the Detroit Pistons, 108-107; the Indiana Pacers defeated the Orlando Magic, 118-111; the Atlanta Hawks dealt the New York Knicks their second straight loss, 121-116; the Houston Rockets blasteds off on the San Antonio Spurs, 127-100; the Cleveland Cavaliers remained unblemished in nine games thus far this season at the expense of the New Orleans Pelicans, 131-122; and the Dallas Mavericks trampled the Chicago Bulls, 119-99.