SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry hit a tying 3-pointer with 1:18 to play, a go-ahead layup moments later off a perfect, long pass by Kevon Looney, then one more dagger 3 on the way to 40 points, rallying the Golden State Warriors past the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-101 on Friday night.
Donovan Mitchell had 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Cleveland, but went down hard grabbing at his right ankle in the waning moments. He got up and hit a pair of free throws with 12.4 seconds left.
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Curry extended his NBA record to 200 straight regular-season games with at least one 3-pointer and shot 6 of 11 from deep.
A rarity: He missed two free throws over the final 17.6 seconds, but delivered a second straight 40-point performance.
Evan Mobley had 20 points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland dropped a third straight following an eight-game winning streak.
Andrew Wiggins' short jumper with 8:48 remaining tied the game and Looney's layup the next time down put the Warriors ahead. Wiggins delivered a big dunk with 6:06 to play and finished with 20 points.
Klay Thompson struggled with his shot and went 3 of 13 for nine points for the Warriors. His 3 with 2:53 left made it 96-95.
Golden State's Draymond Green had 13 assists and 10 rebounds with two points. He was hit with a technical shortly before halftime and coach Steve Kerr also received a T.
Jordan Poole came off the bench to score 18 points for Golden State, which is still trying to find the right combinations to get in sync consistently.
CURRY'S MEDAL
Wayne A.I. Frederick, the 17th President of Howard University, considered mailing Curry his presidential medal honoring the reigning NBA Finals MVP for his support and work with the school's golf program, but Curry asked him to come in person instead.
PROTECTING THE PAINT
Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff's team scored 52 points in the paint and helped keep the Warriors in check.
"They break you down and they break your back with points in the paint," he said. "As long as they've been on this run, I know there's this huge fear of the 3-point shot but they kill you with layups."
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Former Warriors top assistant Luke Walton returned as a Cavs assistant to face his former franchise. He spent time catching up with Warriors coaches and executives before the game. ... Cleveland hasn't beaten the Warriors in the regular season since a 109-108 victory on Dec. 25, 2016. ...
Warriors: Curry's 3-point streak dates to Dec. 1, 2018, at Detroit. ... G Donte DiVincenzo returned from a 10-game absence with a strained left hamstring that he hurt Oct. 23 against Sacramento. DiVincenzo played 16 minutes. ... Golden State is 5-1 at home and 2-0 vs. the Eastern Conference. ... The Warriors have won the last 11 in the series — their longest active streak against any opponent — and eight straight at home. Including playoff meetings, Golden State has won 19 of the last 20.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host the Timberwolves on Sunday.
Warriors: At Kings on Sunday for the second matchup between the Northern California rivals in seven days. The Warriors have won the last seven vs. Sacramento, two in a row on the road.