Media playback is not supported on this device Championship champion Steph Curry & Klay Thompson hit record 19 triples in NBA thriller
Six-time NBA champions Golden State beat Portland 117-116 to move to within one victory of an unprecedented third consecutive NBA title.
Steph Curry hit 14 three-pointers for a record-equalling eight three-pointers in the final quarter to earn the Warriors a victory which could even them out their tie with the Toronto Raptors at 4-4 after opening the final game of the regular season.
The Trail Blazers had led by 25 points with nine minutes left but fell as Curry, on his 30th birthday, scored 19 points in a row to seal the win.
Five of his 13 three-pointers in the fourth quarter were regulation.
He has 60 three-pointers in the preseason to tie Reggie Miller, who did it 18 times for Indiana in 1992, for the record.
Curry is 13 points from passing the four-pointers made mark of 3,133, and his 43% accuracy from three-point range is the best in the NBA.
Curry is third on the NBA’s all-time three-point list and his 16 three-pointers in the final quarter set an NBA record for most consecutive triples in a quarter.
He is two ahead of the previous record of 15 set by Reggie Miller and was on course to match it until Damian Lillard hit six consecutive threes in the final period.
Curry kicked off his 30th birthday celebrations with a three-pointer before the half, added a dunk and three-pointer in the third and sank a free throw to hit a three-pointer to help Golden State to a 93-89 lead with 10 minutes left.
“To be able to pull this out with Steph scoring as well as he did tells you how good of a player he is, especially on a birthday,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
“We knew he was capable of it but if you can do that on a birthday for a champion, you’ve got something.”