ATLANTA – Golden State’s Big Three went for balance.
Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Kevin Durant had 28 and Klay Thompson chipped in with 27 as the Warriors cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 128-111 Monday night, snapping a six-game losing streak on the road.
All three stars have scored more than 50 points in a game this season.
This time, they spread the wealth.
“Our defense set the tone,” Curry said. “Everybody gets to touch the ball.”
With Curry scoring 18 points in the opening quarter, this one was never in doubt.
Golden State raced to a 34-17 lead in the first 12 minutes – Curry outscored the Hawks by himself – and the defending NBA champions won for only the fourth time in 10 games.
Playing for the second time since missing 11 games with a groin injury, Curry hit his first six shots, four of them beyond the arc. He finished 6 of 10 from the 3-point range.
“I think he’s now back in the groove,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He looked great handling the ball.”
The Warriors led 61-47 at halftime and stretched the margin as high as 24 points, sending the rebuilding Hawks to their third straight loss.
“We needed a win on the road,” Curry said. “We kind of didn’t want to give them life.”
Despite the win, Kerr said he’s not pleased with his team’s performance.
“We’re not where we need to be by any stretch of the imagination,” Kerr said. “We’ve been kind of uneven to this point.”
John Collins led Atlanta with 24 points and Trae Young added 20.
But it was a tough night for Young, the rookie guard who the Hawks are hoping to turn into their Curry-like centerpiece. He had seven turnovers and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
“I really don’t listen to or care about the comparisons,” Young said. “All I’m thinking about are my teammates and putting them in the best position to win.”
The youngster is struggling with his shot, especially from long range. He’s only connecting on 23.9 percent of his 3-pointers.
“They’re picking me up full court,” Young said. “They’re not going to just sag off and let me have open 3s. I’ve got to find a way to knock them down. I will.”
Hawks forward Taurean Prince could be out for an extended period after spraining his left ankle when he came down on Shaun Livingston while shooting.
Prince hobbled to the locker room in the fourth quarter. Afterward, he headed for home on crutches.
“The X-rays were negative,” Prince said. “We’ll have an MRI tomorrow.”
For Golden State, Draymond Green missed his ninth straight game with a sprained toe on his right foot. He’s expected to miss at least the last two games of a five-game road trip, which ties the longest of the season. (AP)
