Notebook: Warriors 101, Trail Blazers 93

By Geoff Lepper, for NBA.com
Posted Thursday January 26, 2012 2:04AM

THE FACTS: Stephen Curry scored a season-high 32 points and added seven assists, six rebounds and four steals as the Golden State Warriors withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 101-93 Wednesday. Two days after setting a season-worst mark with 24 turnovers while blowing a 17-point fourth-quarter lead to Memphis, the Warriors set season-highs for assists (33) and 3-pointers (11), using ball movement to outpace a tired Portland team playing its third game in successive nights. David Lee had 26 points and Monta Ellis dished a season-high 12 assists for Golden State. LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 18 points, but had just two in the final period.

QUOTABLE: "He didn't take care of the ball (against Memphis). He was careless. He was reckless. Tonight, he took what the defense gave him. He picked them apart in pick-and-roll situations. When they didn't play him, he came off as a scorer. When they doubled him, he put David in position to knock down shots. He ran the point guard position, and that's with scoring 32 points. He got what he wanted and took control of this game."
-- Warriors coach Mark Jackson.

THE STAT: Curry had been shooting 39.4 percent (13-for-33) in two games since coming back from a two-week layoff after his latest right ankle sprain, but he broke out with a huge offensive night, going 12-for-19 from the floor, 6-for-8 behind the arc. The Warriors flipped their backcourt roles in response to Portland loading up their ball-screen defense against Ellis, leaving Curry with open look after open look.

TURNING POINT: Portland closed from 10 points down with 9:48 remaining in the fourth quarter to just three behind at the 5:24 mark. That's when Curry, who had been yanked for a short breather after Golden State committed turnovers on consecutive possessions, took control with two points and two assists in an 8-4 run that left the Warriors leading 97-90 with 1:36 to go.

QUOTABLE II: "I think it's great (to have another close fourth quarter). I think it's just what the doctor ordered. No sense in us running away with the win. We need to learn how to win close games. We need to learn how to close people out defensively and execute offensively."
-- Jackson.

HOT: Curry went incandescent in the third quarter, shedding Raymond Felton seemingly at will to pour in 16 points, the most in a single period by any Warrior this season. Curry was 4-for-5 from behind the arc in the period, which left Portland coach Nate McMillan at a loss: "I can't explain it. We know what (Curry) is capable of doing."

NOT: Memphis staged their huge comeback against Golden State on Monday with 39 points in the fourth quarter, but Portland shot just 38.9 percent (7-for-18) in the fourth Wednesday, with ex-Warrior guard Jamal Crawford leading the way at 2-for-6.

GOOD MOVE: Jackson tried both Lee and Andris Biedrins on Aldridge through the first 2 1/2 quarters before hitting on the answer: second-year big man Ekpe Udoh. Udoh's harassing defense was a primary reason Aldridge wilted with just two points over his final 15:43 on the floor.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Brandon Rush moved into first place atop the NBA's 3-point shooting leaderboard, going 3-for-3 against the Trail Blazers -- part of a 14-point, six-rebound night -- to up his season-long mark to 57.4 percent.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Oakland native MC Hammer sat courtside and enjoyed a rousing rendition of "Too Legit To Quit" on the public-address system.

NOTABLE: The Warriors won for the first time in seven attempts this season against a Western Conference opponent. . . . Portland has now lost 12 of its last 13 at Oracle Arena. . . . Golden State set a season-high by shooting 55.0 percent on 3-pointers. . . . This was Curry's 17th career 30-point game. . . . Crawford and Nicolas Batum each had 16 points off the bench for Portland. . . . Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby grabbed 16 rebounds.

UP NEXT: For the Warriors, Friday vs. Oklahoma City, Tuesday vs. Sacramento, Thursday vs. Utah. For the Trail Blazers, Friday vs. Phoenix, Monday at Utah, Wednesday vs. Charlotte.