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Warriors Withstand Thunder’s Late-Game Surge in Nail-Biter

In a face-off between two of the Western Conference’s heavyweights, Stephen Curry‘s 36-point performance propelled the Golden State Warriors to a 127-116 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday evening. The Thunder experienced a double blow as Chet Holmgren, their forward, was sidelined due to a right hip injury sustained in the first quarter.

Warriors Show Dominance Despite Thunder’s Resurgence

Contributing to the Warriors’ victory, Jonathan Kuminga netted 20 points, while De’Anthony Melton achieved a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins also chipped in with 18 points. The Warriors maintained a commanding 30-point lead till the late third quarter. However, the Thunder made a spirited comeback, with Alex Caruso’s steal and dunk reducing the lead to just six points with 4:46 remaining on the clock. The Warriors, nonetheless, regained the reins swiftly.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with 24 points, and Jalen Williams, with 20 points, were the top performers for the Thunder, who endured their first home loss of the season.

Stephen Curry: The Game Changer

Curry’s stellar display, which included making 7 of 13 three-pointers and shooting 13 of 23 overall, once again proved how paramount he is to the Warriors’ success. When Curry is in his element, slowing down the Warriors becomes a Herculean task, as the Thunder found out.

Thunder’s Defense Crumbles without Holmgren

Holmgren’s absence was felt strongly, as the Thunder’s defense, which leads the league in defensive rating, struggled without their 7-foot-1 rim protector. The guards found it challenging to take risks and overall rim defense suffered.

Pivotal Moment of the Match

The Thunder managed to narrow their deficit to 116-108 before Curry sunk a three-pointer while toppling over with 3:23 left to play. The Warriors maintained a lead of at least seven points for the remainder of the game.

Noteworthy Statistic

The Warriors achieved a shooting efficiency of 50.6% from the field, marking the first time this season that a Thunder opponent shot over 50%.

What’s Next?

The Warriors are set to visit Dallas on Tuesday, while the Thunder will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.