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Los Angeles Lakers upset Golden State Warriors as Stephen Curry's 3-point streak ends

By Forrest Lee, The Sports Xchange
Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green during the second half of their NBA game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, November 4, 2016. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI.
1 of 3 | Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green during the second half of their NBA game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, November 4, 2016. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI. | License Photo

LOS ANGELES -- Despite all the warnings from Golden State coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors didn't heed his caution.

"We talked about it because I think this is the third straight year where we've come here and dropped the ball and laid an egg," Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said. "We didn't want to let it happen again, but we did."

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Lou Williams and Julius Randle scored 20 points apiece, and the Los Angeles Lakers stunned the Warriors 117-97 Friday night at Staples Center.

Randle also had a game-high 14 rebounds as the Lakers (3-3) beat the Warriors for the second time in a row. They also defeated Golden State on March 6.

"Honestly, we're looking at the big picture, and the big picture isn't beating Golden State and then losing Sunday night at home," said Lakers coach Luke Walton, who captured a win in the inaugural regular-season meeting with the Warriors, the team he served as an assistant the previous two seasons. "The big picture is we make it really hard on teams that come into Staples Center and get wins, and so far we've had two home games against two really good teams and won both."

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Los Angeles beat the Houston Rockets at Staples in the season opener.

D'Angelo Russell contributed 17 points Friday, and Larry Nance Jr. collected 12 points, nine rebounds and a crowd-pleasing dunk for Los Angeles.

"We played aggressive on both ends tonight and really asserted our will defensively, which is like the biggest key to the game," said Nance, who hit all six of his field-goal attempts. "We were just ready for them."

Kevin Durant scored 27 points, while Draymond Green had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors (4-2), who were coming off a blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.

"It's our annual beat-down at Staples by the Lakers. They do this every year," Kerr said. "Let's just give them credit. They came in sky high with a ton of energy."

Curry had 13 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds but saw his NBA-record streak of hitting at least one 3-pointer end at 157 games.

"I would have loved to have finished my career making one every game," said Curry, who missed all 10 of his 3-point shots and finished 5 of 17 from the floor. "I'll just start a new one. Kind of weird not to make one, but I will keep shooting."

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Klay Thompson was 4 of 18, including 2 of 10 from long distance, en route to 10 points.

Durant scored 20 or more points for the 70th consecutive regular-season game, the longest run since Michael Jordan had a 69-game streak during the 1990-91 season.

The Lakers, who led by as much as 19 in the first half, took a 65-49 lead at intermission. The Warriors' inability to convert 3-points cost them. Golden State made just two of 17 (11.8 percent) from behind the arc in the half and 5 of 32 (15.6 percent) overall.

In the third, the Warriors rallied. They cut the gap to 87-81 after a layup by reserve forward Kevon Looney with 1:40 remaining, but a basket and two foul shots by Williams and bucket by Brandon Ingram, who had a season-high 12 points, allowed the Lakers to grab a 93-82 edge heading into the fourth.

"You give a team a 15-, 18-point lead, everything has to go right to get back in the game," Curry said.

It didn't for the Warriors, who got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

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Lakers center Timofey Mozgov returned after missing the Wednesday game in Atlanta with a soft-tissue contusion around his left eye. Mozgov had four points and five boards Friday.

Although the Lakers hit just 4 of 15 (26.7 percent) from 3-point range in each half, they held an advantage on free throws, making five more than the Warriors. They also committed fewer turnovers, 20-16.

"Obviously, we didn't make shots (in) the first quarter, and they were playing with a lot of confidence and we were kind of searching a little bit early," Curry said. "We had some spurts that gave ourselves a chance, just couldn't get over the hump. It was one of those nights that nothing went our way."

NOTES: Lakers coach Luke Walton said he received a text from Warriors F Draymond Green earlier Friday. "It was along the lines of he couldn't get his pregame nap in because he was so excited, amped for what he said he was going to do to us," Walton said during his pregame press conference. ... Golden State rookie G Patrick McCaw missed his fourth game in a row with a sprained left ankle. He is expected to return Monday when the Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans. ... The Lakers play the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at Staples Center.

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