Warriors complete statement road trip with big win over Thunder

Stephen Curry had 36 points and seven assists in a 127-116 Warriors win over Oklahoma City that went from blowout to nail-biter. Golden State led by as many as 30 points in the third quarter before the Thunder stormed back to within six points late. 

But like he'd done too many times in Oklahoma City, Curry hit a dagger to ice the game in the final minutes.

The win capped a 4-1 trip where the Warriors beat the two leading NBA title contenders on the road, though they struggled to hold on in both wins. They dealt the Boston Celtics their first home loss Wednesday, before beating the Thunder Sunday. 

Sandwiched between the impressive wins was a blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but starting the season 6-1 on the road exceeds all preseason expectations for the Warriors.

Golden State is now tied with the Thunder and the Phoenix Suns for first place in the Western Conference with an 8-2 record. The impressive part is that they've played the fewest home games (three) in the NBA, along with the New York Knicks. 

They trail only the Thunder and Cavs in point differential, outscoring their opponents by 11.9 points per game.

Did they get a little fortunate? Definitely. They faced the Celtics without Jaylen Brown, and against the Thunder, sophomore standout Chet Holmgren left the game in the first quarter after a collision with Andrew Wiggins.

But they were also missing Curry for three games and Wiggins for two so far. The wins have showcased the team's depth, where coach Steve Kerr's mix-and-match rotations have seen 13 players average double-digit minutes.

The challenge for Golden State continues next week, as the Western Conference-champion Dallas Mavericks visit Tuesday, followed by the 7-4 Memphis Grizzlies. 

But the Warriors have proved they can hang with the NBA's elite teams. Especially in front of hostile crowds.