Stephen Curry leads Warriors past Ben Simmons’ 76ers

Golden State Warriors put on a second-half shooting clinic to down Ben Simmons’ 76ers.

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, shoots a three-pointer past Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons. Picture: AP

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers scored 47 first-quarter points against the Golden State Warriors but ultimately the defending NBA champions wore them down to win 124-116.

Stephen Curry scored 35 points while Kevin Durant had 27 as the Warriors overcame a 22-point halftime deficit yesterday (AEDT).

Australian rookie Simmons had a double-double with 23 points and 12 assists for the 76ers, who led by 19 points at quarter-time and 74-52 at the half. But the Warriors erased that deficit with a furious rally in the third quarter, netting 47 points to lead by 10 going into the fourth.

A raucous, sellout Philadelphia crowd that chanted “Trust the Process” most of the night went silent while the Warriors put on a shooting clinic in the second half.

Joel Embiid had 21 points for Philadelphia, who dropped to 8-7, while Klay Thompson had 16 for Golden State, who improved their record to 12-4.

Boston Celtics overcame the struggling Atlanta Hawks 110-99 to improve their record to 15-2, after a 0-2 start to the season.

James Harden and Chris Paul combined for 46 points and 13 assists as the Houston Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 105-83, taking their record to 13-4. Kemba Walker had 26 points, Dwight Howard added 16 points and 16 rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets snapped a six-game losing streak with a 102-87 victory over the 5-10 Los Angeles Clippers.

Elsewhere, Rodney Hood scored 31 points as the Utah Jazz handed the Orlando Magic a 125-85 loss to snap a three-game losing streak. The 40-point margin matched the Magic’s worst home loss in team history.

AP