BSP-10 NBA: Road Warriors sink Hawks, Curry tweaks ankle

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NBA: Road Warriors sink Hawks, Curry tweaks ankle

LOS ANGELES, March 3, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each
scored 28 points as the Golden State Warriors beat the Atlanta Hawks 114-109
on Friday despite losing Curry in the second half to an ankle injury.

Curry tallied 15 of his points in the final seven minutes of the second
quarter, then left the game for good in the third after initially tweaking
his right ankle in the opening period.

Curry played just six minutes in the third before sitting down for the
rest of the contest.

He said he doesn’t expect to miss much time going forward.

“Basically their call,” Curry said. “Frustrating, but in the big picture I
understand. I don’t think it’s going to be anything that will keep me out.”

Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala made a clutch dunk in the final seconds
of the fourth quarter to help seal the win. With Golden State ahead by three
points, the Hawks took possession with a chance to tie the game.

But Iguodala stripped the ball from a Hawks player then raced the length
of the court for a slam dunk with five seconds left.

The play solidified the defending NBA champion Warriors’ 25th road win of
the season, giving them the best road record in the league (25-7).

Atlanta rallied from an 18-point deficit. Prior to Iguodala’s dunk they
had used a 9-0 burst to pull within two points with 20 seconds remaining.

Curry shot eight-of-15 from the field, four-of-nine from three-point range
and made all eight of his free throws in 23 minutes of playing time.

Curry also hit his 200th three-point field goal of the season. He is the
first player in league history to sink at least 200 threes in six different
seasons.

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Curry missed time earlier this season with a sprained right ankle and his
health would most likely be a factor in determining the Warriors’ chances of
winning back-to-back titles.

His history of ankle injuries includes missing 13 games this season after
spraining it on December 4th in New Orleans.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said they don’t want to take any chances with
Curry’s health.

– Playing it safe –

“He wanted to stay in but we didn’t want him to stay in just because of
the potential to make it worse,” Kerr said.

Elsewhere, DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points and reserve CJ Miles chipped in
20 as the Toronto Raptors won their season-high fourth straight game on the
road with a 102-95 win over the Washington Wizards.

Miles scored 11 points in the second half and was six of nine from beyond
the arc as the Raptors’ reserves dominated the Wizards’ bench 50-15.

Eastern Conference leaders Toronto have won 10 of their last 11 contests.

Otto Porter led Washington with 24 points on nine-of-12 shooting and
Bradley Beal rebounded from an eight-point game Wednesday against Golden
State to finish with 23.

In Milwaukee, Victor Oladipo had 21 points, and the Indiana Pacers nearly
blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter before holding off the Milwaukee
Bucks for a 103-96 win.

BSS/AFP/MR/1128 hrs