Stephen Curry continued his torrid scoring stretch by dropping 36 points to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Denver Nuggets 118-104 on Friday night at Chase Center.
The win marked Golden State’s fifth straight and moved them within a half-game of Denver in the Western Conference standings.
Curry hit 13 of 24 shots, including 7 of 15 from beyond the arc, and added five assists in just over 32 minutes of action.
He scored 19 points in the first half, helping the Warriors take a 66-60 lead into the break, and remained in control through the second half.
A step-back three-pointer by Curry midway through the third quarter extended Golden State’s lead to 15, and a three-point play late in the fourth helped seal the victory.
Brandin Podziemski backed Curry with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 10-of-16 shooting.
Jimmy Butler added 19 points, five assists, and five steals, continuing his impact since joining the team before the trade deadline.
The Warriors improved to 21-5 since acquiring Butler, who began the fourth quarter with a shot-clock-beating triple and two clutch free throws that pushed the lead to 17.
Denver played without Jamal Murray for the third straight game due to a hamstring injury, and the Nuggets have now lost three in a row.
Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists while shooting 13-of-17 from the field, but he committed six turnovers.
Michael Porter Jr. added 23 points and 9 boards, while Aaron Gordon chipped in 15 points and 8 assists in the loss.
The Nuggets entered the night third in the West but slipped to fourth as Golden State closed in on a potential home-court advantage in a first-round series.
Denver’s eight-game winning streak against the Warriors was snapped, and the loss dropped them to 47-31 with four games remaining.
The Nuggets were outscored 30-24 in the third quarter and never got within single digits in the fourth.
Golden State shot 48.9% from the field and made 16-of-38 three-pointers (42.1%), while holding Denver to just 16 second-quarter points.
The Warriors’ bench combined for 21 points, led by Kevon Looney’s 7 points and 7 rebounds.
Golden State’s defensive effort forced 25 turnovers and translated into 24 points on the other end.
Curry has now averaged 44.5 points per game over his last three outings, following performances of 52 against Memphis and 37 against the Lakers earlier this week.
He has shot 51.6% from deep and 95.5% from the free-throw line in April so far.
The Nuggets shot 54.1% from the field and 38.7% from three, but their high turnover count and poor second quarter proved costly.
Golden State now sits at 46-31 and holds the fifth seed in the West, with a chance to overtake Denver in the coming days.
