Stephen Curry leads Warriors to OT win over NBA-leading Bucks

SAN FRANCISCO(AP) — Stephen Curry scored 36 points with 22 of those in thefourth quarter and overtime, shining in his first home game backfrom a long injury absence and leading the Golden State Warriorspast the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks 125-116 on Saturday night.

Curry hit atying 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in regulation, then blocked alayup attempt by Jrue Holiday in the closing moments. The Warriorsgot the ball back with 1.9 seconds remaining and Curry inbounded toDraymond Green, who missed from deep.

Holiday hadput Milwaukee up on a 3 with 32.7 seconds to play and wound up with18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. But the Bucks (48-19),playing without star Giannis Antetokounmpo, had their three-gamewinning streak snapped with just their second defeat in 21 gamessince Jan. 21.

Curry’s 3with 1:08 remaining in regulation got Golden State within 108-106.A steal by Klay Thompson on the other end moments later led to atying layup by Curry before Holiday delivered.

Thompsonadded 22 points, Donte DiVincenzo had 20 points and 10 rebounds andthe Warriors won at home for the seventh in a row and 11th in12.

KhrisMiddleton had 19 points and five assists, Bobby Portis contributed15 points and 13 rebounds and Brook Lopez 19 points and sevenboards.

Bucks leadingscorer and rebounder Antetokounmpo missed his second straight gamewith right hand soreness and third overall after sitting out March7 with a non-COVID illness.

Golden Stateused a 16-4 burst out of halftime to go ahead 66-53 but the Bucksfought back to get within 80-77 heading into the fourth.

Green wentdown hard and limped to the locker room midway through the thirdquarter before returning with 38.7 seconds left. While cuttingthrough the key, Green’s left foot got tangled with Holiday’s rightleg and Green tripped.

Greenfinished with five points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

Curryreturned March 5 at the Lakers from a left leg injury suffered Feb.4 that sidelined him for 11 games. He played on the team’sthree-game road trip.

The reigningNBA Finals MVP came back injured against Dallas on Feb. 4 in acollision while defending McKinley Wright IV as he drove to thebasket. Wright’s knee hit Curry’s shin.

JaMychalGreen scored 11 of his 18 points in the first quarter for GoldenState making three 3-pointers.

OUCH

Curry’sfull-court pregame heave from the tunnel just missed, but hit aball boy in the face and knocked off his glasses. He was OK andattended to by Warriors medical personnel.

KLAY’S GIFT

Thompsonpresented soon-to-be 16-year-old Braulio Noriega with a birthdaysurprise: a custom-basketball wheelchair. Noriega had his left legamputated from above the knee because of cancer as a6-year-old.

The teenhopes to compete playing wheelchair basketball in college andeventually in his home country of Mexico.

“I can’t evendescribe how I felt,” an overjoyed Noriega said. “... There’s somuch emotional energy from him.”

TIP-INS

Bucks:Milwaukee shot just 9 of 25 on 3s in the first half to 10 for 24 bythe Warriors. Allen missed his initial five and shot 2 of 9overall. ... The Bucks managed just seven offensive rebounds to theWarriors’ 18.

Warriors:Golden State had 33 assists — its 35th game with 30 or more to tiethe Nuggets for most in the NBA. ... G Moses Moody was recalledfrom the G League Santa Cruz Warriors and grabbed four rebounds insix minutes as the Warriors held a 65-48 advantage on theboards.

UPNEXT

Bucks: VisitSacramento on Monday night riding a 13-game winning streak againstthe Kings.

Warriors:Host the Suns on Monday night having lost the last two in theseries at home.