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 So the versatile Warriors made their 36th consecutive home-court
victory an inside job.
On a night when he missed seven of his 11 3-point attempts, guard
Stephen Curry scored nine of his game-high 31 points after the Heat
closed within seven midway through the fourth quarter, helping the
Warriors hold on for a 111-103 win.
"We've been through a lot. Nothing fazes us," Curry said of the
team's 7-for-23 accuracy on 3-pointers. "We always feel we can find
a way to win games."
This one was done with 50 points in the paint on 25-for-45 shooting
and 32 points from six bench players, only one of whom made a
3-pointer.
"Great team effort," Warriors interim coach Luke Walton said. "They
took away our 3-point shot as well as anybody has this season. It's
a credit to (Warriors players) that we scored 111 points anyway."
Golden State power forward Draymond Green recorded a 22-point,
12-rebound double-double, and shooting guard Klay Thompson dropped
in 17 points despite just 6-for-15 shooting as the Warriors (36-2)
ran their home record to 18-0 this season.
It wasn't easy against a Heat team that prevailed in eight of its
previous 11 trips to Oakland.
"I think we did enough to give ourselves a chance," Heat coach Erik
Spoelstra said. "Every time you have a chance, if you make a
mistake, they really know how to capitalize."
Curry shot just 11-for-27 overall, but the reigning NBA Most
Valuable Player preserved his club's seventh consecutive win with
two 3-pointers, a midrange jumper and one free throw over the final
4:52 to complete his 16th 30-point game of the season.
He also found time in the game for six assists while committing just
one turnover. The Warriors had only nine turnovers as a team, a
number Walton labeled "like a miracle."
Shooting guard Dwyane Wade led six Heat players in double figures,
scoring 20 points, but even he had an off night from the field,
missing 14 of 20 attempts.
"Our guys are competitive guys, so we don't feel good about this,"
Spoelstra said, "but you're going against a great team. It's
interesting to see it on the other side."
Center Chris Bosh and backup guard Gerald Green had 15 points apiece
for the Heat (22-16), who were making the third stop on a six-game
trip.
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The loss was just Miami's fourth in 15 games against Western
Conference clubs this season.
The Warriors led just 92-85 before reserve swingman Andre Iguodala
and Curry sandwiched three free throws by Thompson with 3-pointers,
accounting for a 9-3 spurt that gave Golden State its largest lead
of the night at 101-88 with 4:52 to play.
However, as was the case on several previous occasions, the Heat
toughened up when it needed to do so. Small forward Luol Deng had a
tip-in, another interior hoop and a 3-pointer in a 9-2 Miami counter
that prompted a Warriors timeout at 103-97 with 2:35 to go.
Draymond Green dunked on Golden State's first possession after the
break, and when Curry converted a 15-footer the next time the
Warriors got the ball, the lead was back up to 107-97 with 1:42 to
go.
Curry's final hoop, a 3-pointer with 26.9 seconds to play, iced the
Golden State win.
After his first meeting with the Warriors this season, Wade walked
away impressed.
"I was talking to Iguodala at the end of the game," he said, "and I
told him, 'Man, listen, enjoy it. Don't take it for granted.' You
have to enjoy this.
"They're a special ballclub. They really play as a unit. They've got
the perfect team for the style of basketball that they want to play
and what the NBA is today, so you understand why they're so good."
NOTES: The Warriors had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game for just
the third time this season. ... The double-double was Warriors PF
Draymond Green's 14th of the year. ... The Heat played without C
Hassan Whiteside (knee), who tried warming up but gave a thumbs-down
shortly before tipoff. ... The NBA announced Monday that it is
adding the Heat's home game against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 9
to its TNT schedule, replacing Washington-New York. The starting
time will be pushed back a half-hour to 8 p.m. ET.
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