With Friday’s 108-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Golden State finished the 2016 calendar year with a 72-12 regular-season record, the same mark they posted in the 2015 calendar year.
GAME LEADERS
Klay Thompson led the squad in scoring with 29 points, his 19th 20-point game of the season. Kevin Durant recorded the eighth triple-double of his career, his first as a member of the Warriors, posting 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 35 minutes on the floor.
While the Warriors got off to a slow start in the first, Draymond Green threw down a dunk, Durant hit a 3-pointer and the momentum quickly picked up. Down by 2, Stephen Curry stole the ball off a pass intended for his brother, Seth, and took it back to the other end to tie up the game heading into the second quarter.
With the second unit in, Shaun Livingston put up a quick six points while JaVale McGee and Ian Clark brought the energy Golden State needed to really find their groove.
Both Curry and Thompson then began heating up late in the first half and it wasn’t long before Green joined the splash party. A few jump shots later the Dubs found themselves going into the locker room with a 12-point lead.
Thompson put up 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter, helping take a 91-69 lead before the fourth. While Dallas went on a few runs, it wasn’t enough to take the game from Dubs on Warriors Ground.
Up Next, Golden State get the change to relax and ring in 2017 before hosting the Denver Nuggets on Monday.