Curry nets season-high 60; Hawks get last laugh

Stephen Curry scored a season-high 60 points in Golden State’s 141-134 overtime loss to Atlanta on Saturday night, with Trae Young netting 35 to help the Hawks outlast the Warriors.

Curry had eight points in overtime to finish only two shy of the career-high 62 he had at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 3, 2021. He made 22 of 38 shots from the field, hit 10 of 23 3-pointers and converted all six of his free throws.

He became the 10th player in NBA history with multiple 60-point games.

It marked the sixth 60-point game of 2023-24, third most in any NBA season (1961-62 had 17, 1962-63 had nine). Three of those have now come in losses (Devin Booker on Jan. 26, Karl-Anthony Towns on Jan. 22) — which, in Curry’s case, drained the joy out of the achievement.

“It sucks to not have something to show for it,” he said after the Warriors, 12th in the Western Conference, fell to 21-25. “It’s frustrating, obviously, not coming away with the win knowing a couple plays here, a couple plays there could have been a different outcome. It just adds to our frustrating season.”

Still, Curry’s efforts weren’t lost on the Warriors.

“It just seems he continues to get better, which is special at his age,” Draymond Green said.

Coach Steve Kerr described Curry’s game as “incredible.”

“We competed like crazy but just couldn’t get over the hump,” Kerr said.

Dejounte Murray scored the last seven points in an 11-0 run to open overtime for Atlanta and finished with 19 points. Onyeka Okongwu had a career-high 22 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, and Jalen Johnson scored 21 points.

Curry scored 22 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead jumper with 14 seconds remaining. Murray answered with a jumper from the free throw line to tie it. Curry missed a last-second jumper to send it to overtime.

The Hawks have taken advantage of a six-game homestand to win four straight games, matching their best stretch of the season. They are 4-1 on the homestand.

Young and Curry embraced on the court after the game. Young often says he looks up to Curry and enjoys the opportunities to play against one of his favorite players.

“They’re a lot more fun when you win,” Young said. “You always want to battle, you always want to compete, you want to show your best off against the best. … Steph was obviously going in that second half.”

Young, averaging 27.3 points, is second in the NBA with 10.9 assists per game but did not make the All-Star team.

“I told him after the game it will all come back to him if he continues to approach the game in the right way,” Curry said about Young.

The Warriors were short-handed, especially after the first half.

Forward Dario Saric (illness) missed his second consecutive game. Forward Andrew Wiggins suffered what Kerr said was a left foot injury late in the first half, and Jonathan Kuminga fouled out with 1:06 remaining in regulation. X-rays on Wiggins’ foot were negative.

Kerr said Saric could join the team for its next game at Brooklyn.

It was tied at 89 entering the fourth quarter. Curry scored Golden State’s first two baskets of the final period and then gave the Warriors a 105-104 lead with a 3-pointer.

Kuminga scored 16 points, ending his streak of eight straight games with more than 20.

Young and Golden State’s Lester Quinones, who scored 17 points, traded long 3s to end the first quarter. Young sank a 27-footer with less than 2 seconds remaining in the period. The Warriors quickly passed the ball to Quinones, who launched a half-court shot to beat the buzzer.

Golden State rookie guard Brandin Podziemski appeared to injure his right leg when he landed awkwardly when trying to avoid fouling Young late in the first period. Podziemski limped off the court, was escorted to the locker room and returned in the second period.

Hawks forward Saddiq Bey, who sprained his left ankle in the first half of Friday night’s 129-120 win over the Phoenix Suns and did not play in the second half, was ruled out before the game. Coach Quin Snyder before the game that “It’s not something that should keep him out for an extended period of time.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.