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Kevin Durant, Steph Curry carry Golden State Warriors past Denver Nuggets

By Michael Kelly, The Sports Xchange
Steph Curry and the Giolden State Warriors toppled the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Steph Curry and the Giolden State Warriors toppled the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

DENVER - Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Stephen Curry had 22 points and 11 assists, and the Golden State Warriors routed the Denver Nuggets 127-108 on Saturday night.

Draymond Green had 15 points, eight assists and seven assists and Klay Thompson scored 15 points for Golden State, which has won three straight and six of its last seven.

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Will Barton had 21 points and eight rebounds and Emmanuel Mudiay scored 15 points for Denver, which lost the second game of a home back-to-back. No Nuggets starter scored in double figures.

The Warriors (7-3) blitzed the Nuggets with a dominant third quarter. Denver had owned the quarter its previous four games, outscoring opponents 146-78, but the Warriors turned the tables, outscoring the Nuggets 43-21 in the third.

It was the most points Denver has allowed in a quarter this season, and it couldn't match the Warriors' offense. The Nuggets made nine shots and committed seven turnovers. Golden State was 16 of 23 from the field and hit 6 of 11 3-pointers.

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The Warriors outscored the Nuggets 27-6 during a stretch where it turned a five-point lead into an 87-61 advantage halfway through the quarter.

The Nuggets (5-5) called two timeouts to try to stop the run but couldn't turn the momentum. Curry converted a four-point play with a 3-pointer and a free throw, and Durant scored 13 points in the quarter.

Durant hit three free throws with 32 seconds left in the third to make it 103-74 and then watched the fourth quarter on the bench with Curry.

The Warriors have been guilty of slow starts this season but took a 36-23 lead after the first quarter.

Denver's second unit sparked a run in the second quarter that wiped out a 13-point deficit and gave the Nuggets a 47-41 lead. Golden State started the quarter 1 of 13 from the field but got hot in the last five minutes to lead 60-55 at intermission.

NOTES: Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo sat behind the Warriors' bench. He coached Denver SG Gary Harris and Golden State PF Draymond Green in college. ...Golden State coach Steve Kerr said he regretted using offensive language toward a referee in Thursday's win over San Antonio. "That was embarrassing," he told reporters at Saturday morning's shootaround. "My daughter sent me the meme of it. It was all over the Internet. I just hung my head in shame." ... Nuggets F Juancho Hernangomez (mononucleosis) has started practicing but is still not close to returning. ... Golden State G Shaun Livingston was inactive for rest.

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