OAKLAND—Stephen Curry scored 19 points in Golden State’s NBA-record 18th straight win at the start of a season, but what he didn’t do against the Sacramento Kings was just as important to the defending champion Warriors.
Curry, the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player and its leading scorer this season with an average of 32.6 points, played less than 30 minutes in the 120-101 victory Saturday night (Sunday morning Manila time) and took only seven shots – all but one in the first quarter.
‘’I’m sure Steph doesn’t like it,’’ Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton said. ‘’But the coaching staff and the training staff, we’re thrilled to get him that rest.’’
Curry, who scored 17 pf his points in the first quarter, said he understood it made sense for him to sit out the entire fourth period of the blowout with the Warriors about to embark on a two-week, seven-game road trip.
‘’Any time you can stay fresh and do it in winning fashion, it’s fun,’’ Curry said. ‘’Obviously, I like to play.’’
Draymond Green had his second straight triple-double and the Warriors, who led by 10 points at halftime, opened the third quarter with a 27-8 run that included four 3-pointers by Brandon Rush to build their lead to 29 points. The Kings didn’t get within 21 points again until the final minute of the game.
Green had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Rush scored 16 points and Klay Thompson added 15 for the Warriors.
Rudy Gay scored 20 points for Sacramento, which fell to 6-12.
‘’They’re on a magic carpet ride right now. They’re playing great,’’ Gay told reporters. ‘’They’re just playing well right now. They’re moving the ball and everybody’s shooting the ball. Their defense is great. You hate to be on the losing side of it, but it’s impressive.’’
The Warriors’ 22nd straight regular-season victory – a streak that includes four wins at the end of last season – tied the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for the third-longest such streak in NBA history, trailing only the 33 straight by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers and 27 in a row by the 2012-13 Miami Heat.
Curry hit three 3-pointers in the opening period while scoring more than half of Golden State’s 30 points. The Warriors trailed until the final six seconds of that quarter, but quickly took control in the second period against a Kings team missing leading scorer DeMarcus Cousins.
Green became the first Warriors player with back-to-back triple-doubles since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964. A night earlier, he had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 135-116 win at Phoenix. He signed a five-year, $82 million contract with the Warriors in July. ‘’He got a huge contract this summer and he came back a better player. He’s playing at an All-Star level right now,’’ Walton said.
Golden State won its 28th straight regular-season home game (a streak that also began last season), becoming the 10th NBA team to accomplish that feat and the first since the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls, who won 32 in a row at home en route to their second of three straight league titles.
