Golden State Warriors dial up 911…Stephen Curry responds in nick of time

Facing a fourth-straight loss and further pressure amid the tight Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors were rescued by a determined Stephen Curry in Saturday’s heavyweight matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Playing without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo who was ruled out with a hand injury, the league-leading Bucks looked like continuing on their merry way when they led by eight with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.

A huge fourth-quarter and overtime from Stephen Curry has helped the Golden State Warriors arrest their three-game slide with a 125-116 overtime win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Curry had been well held by the elite perimeter defense of Jrue Holiday in the opening three-quarters, scoring just 14 points on 5-for-16 shooting. But with the game slipping away, and their season edging closer to demise, Curry single-handedly saved his team as superstars do.

He nailed a three with 1:51 remaining to cut the Milwaukee lead to five, then drilled another on the following possession to bring it to two. After Khris Middleton then lost the handle and turned it over, Curry ran in transition and finished the finger roll layup to tie the game.

Yet, just as Golden State had completely turned the momentum, Holiday hit a tough three over Looney to quieten the jubilant crowd. Defensive Player of the Year favorite Brook Lopez then blocked Jordan Poole’s layup attempt, only for Holiday to dribble the ball out of bounds with the Bucks holding one hand on victory.

Enter Curry again. The two-time MVP hit a stepback three over Jevon Carter to tie the game, then blocked Holiday’s game-winning layup attempt on the other end. The Warriors had 1.9 seconds to win the game themselves, but only got a deep Draymond Green three-point attempt that just rimmed out.

After Brook Lopez gave Milwaukee the lead to start overtime, it was all Curry and Golden State. The reigning Finals MVP contributed a further nine points, and Klay Thompson four, as the Warriors closed the game on a 14-3 run.

It was a signature Curry display to rescue his side, scoring 20 points over the last seven minutes of the game. Before that it had been Donte DiVincenzo who’d easily been the most impactful Warrior, nailing six threes on his way to 20 points, ten rebounds and some hounding defense on Holiday.

In a major surprise, JaMychal Green’s 18 points led the Warriors in scoring over the first three-quarters. The hosts had led by 13 after a positive start to the second-half, but the Bucks responded as they finally found an offensive groove during the fourth-quarter.

Draymond Green finished with five points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, playing nearly 36 minutes despite struggling with an ankle injury sustained during the third. Thompson had 22 points despite early foul trouble, and Kevon Looney notched another 15 rebounds to go with an equal career-high five steals.

The Warriors shot 23-for-55 (41.8%) from three-point range and just 23-for-57 (40.4%) from inside the arc. The Bucks also shot a similar percentage, though Golden State finished with 12 more field-goal attempts thanks to 11 more offensive rebounds and two less turnovers.

The reigning champions move to 35-33 on the season to stay just clear of the play-in tournament at sixth in the West. They’ll face another championship contender when the Phoenix Suns enter Chase Center on Monday.