Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) goes for the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Moses Brown (above Curry) during Wed Apr 14, 2021 game in Oklahoma City (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors started the five-game road trip on the right foot Wednesday night. Stephen Curry had another brilliant performance with 42 points to lead Golden State to an easy 147-109 rout over the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC is not the team it was when they had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on their roster.

Their big center, Steve Adams, was traded. The lineup they put on the floor against the Warriors was full of players with a very short NBA resume. Even so, Golden State would become complacent; the Thunder could upset the Warriors apple cart.

The Warriors did not relinquish the lead after the teams were tied 5-5. The Thunder gave the Warriors a tussle, but Curry, Kent Bazemore, and Jordan Poole connected on threes to propel the Warriors to a 36-32 lead after 12 minutes of play.

The Warriors owned the second quarter. Jordan Poole was hot. He kicked in 11 points to give the Warriors the advantage 49-36. The Warriors outscored the Thunder 39-22 to finish the first half with a 75-54 lead. Curry paced the Warriors with 17 points. He connected on five threes in ten tries.

Poole had 14, and he made three threes. Kevon Looney had nine, Andrew Wiggins eight. Draymond Green had four points and ten assists. The Warriors had great ball movement as they recorded 24 assists on 27 made field goals. They played well on defense as they held the Thunder to 54 points.

As good as they played in the second quarter, the Warriors put fifty points on the board. Curry was on fire. Curry scored 25 points in the period. He connected on six threes. The Warriors led 125-83 after three quarters. Curry did not play in the fourth quarter. In his 29 minutes of playing time, he scored 42 points and made 11 threes. It was the eighth consecutive game that he scored 30 or more points.

Warrior head coach Steve Kerr did not have Curry, Looney, Wiggins, or Green on the court in the fourth quarter. Gary Payton, the second, on a ten-day contract, saw playing time. Payton, the son of Oakland’s own Gary Payton, recorded ten points and made a three.

He excelled on defense with four steals. Juan Toscano-Anderson, Alen Smailagic, Nico Mannion, and Jordan Poole finished up for the Warriors.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 27-28 for the season. They have 17 games left on the schedule. The Warriors have won four of the last five games. OKC is 20-34. The Thunder is 0-8 for April.

The Warriors tied a franchise record with 24 made threes. The 50-point third quarter was the highest-scoring quarter by any team in the NBA this season.

Green had his 28th career double-double. The Warriors are 27-1 in those games. Curry had 42 points, six boards, and eight assists. He was 14-for-20 from the floor and made 11 threes in 16 attempts. The rest of the Warrior starters made significant contributions.

Kent Bazemore, starting in place of the injured Kelly Oubre, kicked in with 15 points. Bazemore made three threes in four tries. Wiggins had 16, Looney nine. Jordan Poole, coming off the bench, finished with 17 points. Poole knocked down three threes from downtown. Payton had ten points, one three, and four steals. 

The Warriors are on their way to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers. The Cavs record is 20-34. The game will start at 5 pm.