Stephen Curry scored 36 points and the Golden State Warriors held off a late rally to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-116 on Sunday night.

It was a double blow for the Thunder, as forward Chet Holmgren did not return after suffering a right hip injury in the first quarter. The injury put a damper on a matchup between two of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Jonathan Kuminga scored 20 points, De’Anthony Melton had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Andrew Wiggins added 18 points for the Warriors.

Golden State led by 30 late in the third quarter before the Thunder stormed back. A steal and dunk by Alex Caruso cut Golden State’s lead to six with 4:46 left before the Warriors regained control.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Jalen Williams added 20 for the Thunder, who suffered their first home loss of the season.

Takeaways

Warriors: This version of Curry is what Oklahoma City fans have come to expect when he visits. The 36-year-old made 7 of 13 three-pointers and shot 13 of 23 overall. He showed that when he is on, his team is difficult to slow down.

Thunder: Oklahoma City led the league in defensive class, thanks in part to the 7-foot-1 Holmgren’s ability to protect the rim and provide coverage for his teammates’ mistakes. Without him, the guards couldn’t gamble as much, and the Thunder weren’t as good defensively around the rim.

Key moment

Oklahoma City cut the deficit to 116-108 before Curry hit a three-pointer while falling to the ground with 3:23 left. The Warriors led the rest of the way by at least seven.

Key stat

Golden State shot 50.6% from the field. It was the first time this season that a Thunder opponent shot better than 50%.

Next

Golden State visits Dallas on Tuesday and the Thunder host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba