Stephen Curry, Warriors stage huge fourth-quarter rally to beat short-handed Cavaliers

CLEVELAND — Stephen Curry scored 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, making three consecutive 3-pointers, and the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Cavaliers 104-89 on Thursday night.

Curry made 8 of 12 shots, including 4 of 7 3-pointers, in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors outscore the Cavaliers 36-8. The Warriors ran off the first 17 points of the quarter to take an 85-81 advantage, holding the Cavs to 12 consecutive empty possessions.

“With Steph on the floor, you always have a chance,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s one of the greatest players in the history of the game and he is the greatest 3-point shooter of all-time. He’s fearless and always capable of catching fire like that.”

Playing with a bruised left hip, Curry finished 15 of 27 from the field, 9 of 16 beyond the arc and 1 of 1 from the foul line. A two-time MVP, Curry increased his NBA-best scoring average to 29.5 and had six assists and four rebounds.

Nemanja Bjelica added 14 points, Andrew Wiggins had 12 points and Draymond Green had four points and 14 assists for the Warriors (13-2) who have won nine in a row over the Cavaliers and are 17-1 against them since January 2017.

The Warriors held an opponent to eight points or less in the fourth quarter for the first time since Nov. 5, 2003, against the Atlanta Hawks.

“It was amazing to watch our energy in the fourth, and I had the best vantage point in the house,” Curry said. “We’re pretty good at wearing teams down with our defense.”

Darius Garland scored a season-high 25 points for the injury-plagued Cavs (9-8). They took an 81-68 lead into the fourth after Dean Wade batted in a layup as time expired in the third.

Wade and Kevin Love had 17 points apiece, and Ed Davis added seven points and 14 rebounds.

“Stephen Curry is a hell of a basketball player,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The shots he was making weren’t easy, but obviously, he’s got the skill-set to make them and Draymond knows how to get him open. They’re the best team in the league right now for a reason.”

The Cavs were without four starters in rookie forward Evan Mobley (right elbow sprain), guard Collin Sexton (left knee meniscal tear), center Jarrett Allen (illness) and forward Lauri Markkanen (conditioning). Forward Cedi Osman (back spasms) was a late scratch.

“I thought we did pretty well with the next-man up mentality,” Garland said. “Steph just got hot. That’s all it was.”

Four by four

Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley — the No. 3 overall draft pick — will be out until December after his right elbow became entangled with Celtics center Enes Kanter on Monday night. The USC product is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots.

“Evan has some big shoes to fill, wearing No. 4 with the Cavs,” joked Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who wore the same number in his final two seasons with Cleveland.

“He is a such well-rounded young player. He can score and is a good rebounder, and his defensive instincts, passing, mid-range shooting are solid. He has a real feel for the game.”

Tip-ins

Warriors: Guard Andre Iguodala (left hip), who was named the 2015 NBA Finals MVP against the Cavs, sat out his third game of the season for injury management reasons. … Guard Klay Thompson (right Achilles tendon tear) last played in a game on June 13, 2019, and center James Wiseman (right knee) hasn’t played since April 10. … Assistant coach Mike Brown spent six seasons in charge of the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers: Markkanen is practicing after being cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols for COVID-19, but missed his ninth consecutive game. … Forward Lamar Stevens (right ankle) was inactive for the fourth game in a row. … Guard Ricky Rubio received the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his efforts to improve the lives of children and families with cancer in an on-court ceremony.

Nets at Cavaliers

Time: 7 p.m. Monday

TV: Bally Sports Ohio

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Curry, Warriors outscore Cavaliers 36-8 in fourth quarter