Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors were able to hold off a late rally by the Brooklyn Nets in the fourth quarter to win 120-114 and improve to 6-1 Sunday evening at Barclays Center. As with previous games, the Warriors owed their win to the talents and high-scoring of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

Golden State led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter and third quarter, but allowed Brooklyn to come within two points with 1:55 remaining in the game when D’Angelo Russell made a driving layup. But the defending champions stepped it up too Stephen Curry, who scored a team-leading 35 points along with seven rebounds and three assists, said the Warriors played well overall.

“We knew we had to come out and get to a great start. The way that they shoot three’s and try to space the floor and play fast, you can’t give them confidence early,” Curry said in postgame interviews. “We knew it was going to be a full 48-minute game.” The Warriors lacked rhythm at the start of the game but gained it faster than they did in their Friday night victory against the New York Knicks. Kerr called a timeout after Caris LeVert made a triple that put the Nets up 14-0. Then Curry and Kevin Durant were fouled at the three-point line and went 3-of-3 and 2-of-3 respectively, to tie the Nets at 26.

Durant said the Warriors had some good spurts.

“Obviously we wanted to play a great game, but we know that we are still learning and getting better,” Durant told reporters.

Golden State had a 63-49 lead at the half and a 93-77 lead at the end of the third. Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said his team made it a point to fight harder after falling behind in the first half.

“I thought that the guys really made a second push,” Atkinson said. “I thought it was a good effort in the second half.”

Curry hit a new NBA record in the first half—at least five triples for the seventh straight game. He broke George McCloud’s record of at least five three-pointers in six consecutive games from the 1995-96 season, according to Warriors PR.

Russell said players can’t guard Curry by the rules.

“Whatever the game plan is or whatever you’re deciding to do at the point of a screen or anything, all bets are off,” Russell said. “He’s one of those players in the league that is unguardable at times.”

Durant had 34 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Klay Thompson had 18 points, and Warrior reserve Alfonzo McKinnie had 9 points. The Warriors face the Chicago Bulls (2-4) at 5 p.m. Monday to end their three-game road trip.