Warriors run streak to nine

There were no sports-channel highlight shows the last time the Golden State Warriors won nine in a row in the same season. Even if there had been, the top-10 compilers surely would have been hard-pressed to find a Gus Williams-to-Rick Barry moment that looked anything like the off-the-backboard play executed Sunday by Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut.

Klay Thompson scored 26 points, Curry and Bogut connected on a play worthy of the NBA’s dunk contest, and the Warriors won their ninth in row, beating the Washington Wizards, 112-96.

The Warriors pulled away by turning a game that was tied at halftime into a laugher in the third quarter, opening the period with a 30-5 run that included a sequence in which Curry drove into the paint and sent the ball flying out of his hand and off the glass. The carom went right to a leaping Bogut, who timed the play perfectly for a dunk, then stared at his right hand with mouth agape as he ran downcourt.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Bogut said. “I didn’t know if he was shooting or throwing a lob, but I kind of knew it was a bad shot if it was a shot. I just tried to get where the ball was coming.”

The Warriors hadn’t won nine straight in one season since a 10-game run from Dec. 6-23, 1975. They also had a nine-game regular-season win streak that overlapped the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons.

Golden State is 5-0 on its season-long seven-game, 13-day trip and moved into a tie with the Clippers atop the Pacific Division.

at Miami 102, Toronto 97: LeBron James had 30 points, Michael Beasley came off the bench to score 17 and the Heat held on at the finish to end the Raptors’ winning streak at five games. Miami, 7-6 this season when trailing at the start of the fourth quarter, was down by five points entering the fourth Sunday, then opened the final period with a 7-0 run and never trailed again.

New York 92, at Dallas 80: Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points, and the Knicks held on after Dallas cut a 19-point deficit to six. New York finished 2-1 on a four-day Texas trip.

at Oklahoma City 119, Boston 96: Reggie Jackson scored a career-high 27 points, Kevin Durant had 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, and the West-leading Thunder (27-7) improved to 4-2 since Russell Westbrook suffered his latest injury.

Indiana 82, at Cleveland 78: Paul George scored 16 points for the Pacers, who righted themselves after blowing all but one point of a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.

Memphis 112, at Detroit 84: Jon Leuer tied a career high with 23 points as the Grizzlies handed the Pistons their fourth straight loss.

Denver 137, at Lakers 115

—associated press