Steph Curry leads Warriors to 140-124 win over Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY — Even with the Jazz getting close to full strength, the 3-point shooting of the Warriors was too much to overcome.

Golden State knocked down 23 3-point shots Wednesday night to bury Utah 140-124.

It may not be as lethal as it once was, but the Warriors offense still operates the same way it did in its prime as it relies on the 3-point shot. Even with Steph Curry's ability to draw plenty of attention due to his all-time great shooting, Golden State was still able to take advantage.

The names and numbers on jerseys may change, but with Curry and Golden State's excellent ball movement and open shots, the team can generate offense quickly and overwhelm teams, like they did against the Jazz.

"They move and cut and pass, and they've done it for a long time," Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. "When they get you spinning like that, they do a great job of making decisions to the result of catch-and-shoot threes. It's a credit to them, but we didn't do a good job of keeping our body between them and the basket."

Curry led the way for the Warriors with 27 points and Moses Moody added 25 points in the road win.

"It's always cool to go against the best in our league and (I've) been able to have some good battles against the Warriors since I've been in the league," Keyonte George said. "That group has a lot of success, and that's what we're striving for."

George returned after a one-game absence and was back to doing it all for Utah. He poured in 19 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds, but it wasn't enough for the Jazz.

Utah started the game out strong, which forced a quick timeout from Golden State head coach Steve Kerr. From there, though, it was the Warriors the rest of the way.

The Jazz made a couple runs throughout the game while Curry was on the bench and slowly battled back within 8 points at the end of the third quarter. But the 3-point shooting that carried Golden State all game showed itself again in the fourth, effectively putting an end to any momentum Utah picked up during the third quarter.

That 3-point shooting was largely the difference in a game where there wasn't much disparity in team stats between the Jazz and Warriors.

Two young wings for Utah continued to showcase their development and impact on the game, with Brice Sensabaugh scoring a team-high 22 points off the bench for the Jazz, while Ace Bailey contributed 19 points, seven assists and tied a career-high with four assists.

"Brice is a terrific scorer," Hardy said. "He's a threat from everywhere on the court. I think the work he's done on his body shows when he makes plays around the rim. He's elevating well and finishing well. He's got a wide array of skills on offense that continue to show up."

For Bailey, he's continuing to find different ways to make an impact on the game, even with his role seemingly changing every game with different players in and out of the lineup.

"I think he's slowly coming together," Lauri Markkanen said of Bailey. "It's a work in progress, obviously, but it is for all the rookies, and I'm proud of the progress that he's made."

Bailey's head coach said he was also proud of the work and progress he has put in over the course of the season, which has allowed him to adapt to the NBA game.

"Ace is getting better," Hardy said. "I'm really excited about his progress. He's showing us each night a higher level of understanding of how he can impact the game. He's finding a variety of shots. I think it's starting to slow down for him a little bit."

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