Thompson, Durant lead Warriors to 104-88 win over Celtics

BOSTON (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 28 points, Kevin Durant had 23 points and 10 rebounds against the team he spurned this summer and the Golden State Warriors scored 18 points in a row in the third quarter to pull away and beat the Boston Celtics 104-88 on Friday night.

Stephen Curry had just 16 points — his second-fewest of the season — while sitting out much of the fourth quarter as the Warriors cruised to their sixth straight victory. Zaza Pachulia had 12 rebounds and Draymond Green had eight rebounds and eight assists for Golden State in its only visit to Boston this season.

Avery Bradley had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Boston and Isaiah Thomas scored a season-low 18.

Thomas hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter to make it a 10-point game, but the Warriors scored the next 18 points. They made it 86-57 at the end of the third and opened a 30-point lead in the fourth before Boston chipped it down to 11 in the final 90 seconds.

But Curry, who had re-entered the game midway through the fourth as the Celtics threatened to come back, hit a 3-pointer, Jaylen Brown missed one for Boston, and then Curry added a finger roll to clinch it.

Curry shot 7 for 20 in all, making just 2 of 10 attempts from 3-point range. It was the second time this season he has been held under 20 points.

Boston challenged the Warriors last season while they were on their way to a record-breaking 73-9 regular season. After losing in double overtime in Boston, the Celtics beat the Warriors on April 1 to hand them their first home loss of the season.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Golden State had 30 or more assists for the sixth straight game and the eighth time this season. ... Durant took out referee Lauren Holtkamp and a TV cameraman under the basket late in the third quarter and nearly wound up in the lap of a woman sitting in the front row

Celtics: F Al Horford missed his ninth straight game with a concussion, but he sat on the bench during the game. Jae Crowder missed his eighth straight game with a sprained left ankle. Coach Brad Stevens said they would both join the team on the flight to Detroit after the game. ... Rookie Jaylen Brown was called for a technical in the second quarter for an "unnatural act" when he kicked his leg out and catching Andre Iguodala between the legs.

UNWELCOME

Durant was greeted with a loud jeer before the game by a Celtics crowd that wasn't happy he chose to go to Golden State as a free agent over the summer. Celtics management brought along Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to the meeting in the Hamptons but were unable to land the biggest free agent to move this summer.

UP NEXT

Warriors: Visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday for the third game of a four-game trip.

Celtics: Visit the Pistons on Saturday. Boston leads Detroit by a half-game in the Eastern Conference standings.


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