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Sports Breaking

Curry scores 26, Warriors beat Jazz

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, passes the ball as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, right, defends in the first half during an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY >> Stephen Curry scored 26 and the Golden State Warriors controlled the Utah Jazz from start to finish in a 106-99 victory Thursday night.

Curry scored 14 points during a 29-1 run that made it 29-5. The Jazz’s only lead of the game was 4-2.

Kevin Durant added 21 points and 11 rebounds for Golden State.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored a career-high 21 points, and Shelvin Mack added a season-high 19.

The Jazz have four starters sidelined by injuries, including their top three scorers.

Golden State led 65-46 at halftime as the second unit allowed the Jazz to hang around and, technically, remain within striking distance. The urgency from the first quarter disappeared in the second half and the Jazz crept within five in the fourth quarter thanks to buckets from Mack and Ingles, but Durant closed the game with 11 in the final period.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Rookie Patrick McCaw scored a career-high 10 points, all in the first half. … Shaun Livingston took the night off to rest. … Draymond Green was two assists shy of his 15th career triple-double.

Jazz: Utah started the combination of Joe Johnson, Mack, Dante Exum, Gobert and Boris Diaw for the first time this season. … Ingles hit a career-high five 3-pointers.

INJURED JAZZ

The Jazz were without four starters — Gordon Hayward (finger), Rodney Hood (hamstring), George Hill (toe) and Derrick Favors (knee). Utah has been dealing with injuries all season, but Thursday was their most depleted lineup to date.

“It’s easy to be frustrated,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “That’s something you have to just fight against and make a decision to do the best with where we are.

“It’s a credit to our guys really. We’ve got a group that has character. Over a longer period of time it becomes more challenging. … Hopefully there’s a silver lining. We’ve got some guys that are getting minutes that may not be getting otherwise.”

QUOTABLE

“This team, my first year was kind of a surprise and everybody seemed to love us,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Now maybe it’s changed a little bit. It honestly makes no difference to us.

UP NEXT

Warriors: Golden State travels to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the third game of a five-game trip.

Jazz: Utah hosts a Sacramento Kings team that has lost eight of 12 on the road.

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