Curry scores 44 as perfect Warriors beat Raptors

TORONTO — Stephen Curry likes playing in Toronto, and it shows.

Curry made nine 3-pointers and scored 44 points, leading the undefeated Golden State Warriors to a 112-109 victory over the Raptors on Saturday.

Curry was 14 for 24 from the field and 9 for 15 from beyond the arc as Golden State pushed its NBA-record start to 21-0. The NBA MVP is averaging 30 points for his six career games at Toronto, where his father, Dell, played for his final three seasons.

"I have great memories of being here watching my dad play. I got some shots up on that rim for three years every game night," he said.

"I enjoy coming back here and playing; it's a familiar setting."

Klay Thompson added 26 points for the Warriors, and Draymond Green had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the win moved Golden State past the St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association, a predecessor to Major League Baseball, for the best start to a season by a professional sports team.

At 25 consecutive regular-season wins, the Warriors also possess the third-longest streak in NBA history, behind only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (33) and the 2012-13 Miami Heat (27).

"That's our 11th win on the road this year, so you have to give the guys in there so much credit for even on the games where we really don't have it, finding ways to win," interim coach Luke Walton said.

This one was a challenge. The three-point margin matched the smallest of the season for the Warriors, who won 106-103 at Utah on Monday.

"It's really good," Curry said. "Twenty-one different challenges and we've been able to separate each one individually and figure out different ways of winning. It's been fun."

Kyle Lowry made six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 41 points for Toronto, which has dropped three of four. DeMar DeRozan recovered from an ugly 1-for-10 shooting performance in the first half, finishing with 16 points.

The Raptors also played a tight game at Golden State on Nov. 17, losing 115-110.

"We have to understand it's the best team in the league and we had them down to the last possession of both games," DeRozan said. "It just shows how good of a team we can be. We have to learn from it."

Lowry found Lucas Nogueira for an alley-oop dunk with 2:03 to go, tying it at 102. Green responded with two foul shots for Golden State. After DeRozan went 1 for 2 at the line, Curry hit two more free throws.

Curry and Thompson then combined to go 6 for 6 at the line in the final 18.2 seconds to help Golden State hang on.

"It seems like he gets 40 points quietly," Thompson said of Curry. "I know times that I've gotten 40 in the NBA, I've been very happy with it, but he just seems to not be content. His skill level and ability to shoot are unparalleled, and he's a truly special talent we might never see again."

40 AGAIN

It was Curry's seventh game of the season with at least 40 points, but the first time in his career that he had accomplished the feat in consecutive games. He also scored 40 points in Wednesday's 116-99 victory at Charlotte

THE GIANT OF AFRICA

On the second anniversary of the death of former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri hosted "The Giant of Africa," an evening-long celebration of Mandela's life and legacy.

The players wore specially designed T-shirts during warmups and on the bench and the Raptors welcomed a number of special guests, including former NBA stars Isiah Thomas and Bob Lanier along with international soccer star Didier Drogba.

QUOTABLE

"There was a stretch where I was playing with Kobe when he scored like 40 points I forget how many games in a row but it was mind-blowing to see that happening night after night and that's kind of similar to what Steph is doing right now. It's unbelievable, every single night at some point he takes over the game." — Walton on comparisons between Curry and Kobe Bryant, whom he played with for nine years with the Los Angeles Lakers.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Golden State outscored its opponents by a total of 308 points in its first 20 games, the best margin in NBA history for that point in the season. ... Andrew Bogut (back) and Harrison Barnes (left ankle) sat out.

Raptors: Toronto has led at the end of the first quarter in just six of its 21 games so far this season. ... The Raptors played consecutive home games for the first time this season, the last team in the NBA to do so.

UP NEXT

Warriors: Visit Brooklyn on Sunday.

Raptors: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.