Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets lays up a shot against the defence of Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Bogut (left) at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. (AFP)

DPA/Los Angeles


The Golden State Warriors are off to a fast start and don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. The defending league champions remained perfect with an NBA-record-tying 15th consecutive win to open the season after Sunday’s 118-105 road victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Klay Thompson scored 21 points, league top scorer Stephen Curry had a season-low 19 in only three quarters, and the Warriors equalled the winning streak of the 1993-94 Houston Rockets and the 1948-49 Washington Capitols. “It’s special to tie a record that has been standing for a long time,” Curry said. “It’s a huge accomplishment but we want to take it to another level. Since we’ve got 15, we might as well get 16.”
The Warriors can break the mark today with a victory at home against the lowly LA Lakers, where they’ve won 26 consecutive games at Oracle Arena. “It would be a cool milestone,” Thompson said. “Shows how special this team can be.”
Harrison Barnes netted 17 points, Draymond Green had 13 and Andre Iguodala added 12 off the bench for the Warriors, who knocked down 15-of-29 from behind the arc in the victory.
“We’re playing at a level we haven’t played in years past,” Barnes said. “Everyone is confident, everyone feels comfortable in their role and we’re just rolling.”
Golden State led by six early in the third quarter before Curry splashed a triple, capping a personal 7-0 run to open a 71-62 cushion.  Barnes then ran off seven straight points, including a power dunk, and Curry drained another 3-pointer as the gap quickly grew to 86-73 with 2:34 left in the period.
With Curry on the bench, the Warriors pushed the lead to 103-84 in the fourth stanza and cruised into the record books.
Darrell Arthurs had 21 points, Italy’s Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton added 19 apiece for Denver (6-8) which fell for fourth time in the last six games.
“We did a lot of good things against a great team,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “But 20 turnovers for 20 points, that’s beating ourselves.”   

Elsewhere
Brooklyn Nets 111, Boston Celtics 101
Brook Lopez had 23 points with 10 rebounds, Jarrett Jack netted 13 of his 22 in the final quarter, and the host Nets (3-11) held off the Celtics to salvage a split of a home-and-home series.
Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley scored 27 points apiece for the Celtics (7-6) who took Friday’s meeting 120-95 but couldn’t overcome a 22-point, third-quarter deficit.

Toronto Raptors 91, LA Clippers 80
DeMar DeRozan and DeMarre Carroll tossed in 21 points apiece, while Argentine Luis Scola added 20, and the visiting Raptors (9-6) sent the struggling Clippers to a third straight defeat.
J.J. Redick scored 17 points, but Blake Grifin netted just nine - 17 below his season average in 29 foul-plagued minutes - for the Clippers (6-7), who stormed from 29 down to 73-67 early in the fourth quarter before falling for the seventh time in the last nine games.

New Orleans Pelicans 122, Phoenix Suns 116
Anthony Davis hit a tie-breaking triple with 54 seconds left, capping a 32-point, season-high 19-rebound effort, and the host Pelicans shaded the Suns 122-116.  
Ryan Anderson tallied 29 points while Ish Smith added 17 with nine rebounds and eight assists as New Orleans (3-11) earned its second straight win.  Eric Bledsoe had 29 points for Phoenix (7-6), which fell despite hitting 17-of-36 from behind the arc.

Oklahoma City Thunder 117, Dallas Mavericks 114
Russell Westbrook had 31 points, including the tie-breaking jumper with 62 seconds left along with 11 assists, and the host Thunder (8-6) overcame a 10-point third quarter deficit to snap the Mavericks’ season-high six-game winning streak. Deron Williams topped Dallas (9-5) with 20 points and Wesley Mathews added 18.

Portland Trail Blazers 107, LA Lakers 93
Damian Lillard had 30 points with a career-high 13 assists, while C.J. McCollum netted 19, and the visiting Trail Blazers (6-9) topped the struggling Lakers for their second straight win following a seven-game slide.
Jordan Clarkson scored 19 and Kobe Bryant added 18 on a nightmarish 6-of-22 shooting in the Lakers’ (2-11) third straight loss.