NBA roundup: Sensational Steph Curry passes Kobe milestone, Miami loses Heat against Celtics
Houston, Texas - The Golden State Warriors won a sixth straight game as Stephen Curry returned to form with a 40-point haul in Texas.
Golden State saw off the Houston Rockets 122-108 on Monday, with Curry finishing with 40 points, 21 of which came in the final quarter.
It marked the end of a below-par month for Curry, who had previously had over 30 points on just one occasion since the turn of the year.
Curry has now scored 40 points or more in six games this season. He made seven three-pointers to go along with nine assists and five rebounds.
He has scored 20 points or more in a quarter 37 times in his career, surpassing the late Kobe Bryant for the most by any NBA player since at least 1996-97.
Andrew Wiggins added 23 points for Golden State, while Kevon Looney had 14 rebounds.
For the Rockets, Christian Wood offered some resistance with a double-double, but Houston continue their rotten run of 11 games without a win.
Around the league
With Joel Embiid rested, the Philadelphia 76ers clinched a fifth straight win as Andre Drummond, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris stepped up against the Memphis Grizzlies.
All-Star Ja Morant had 37 points for Memphis, but it was Maxey (33 points) who snatched a 122-119 victory in overtime with a driving layup.
Drummond had 16 points but amassed a huge 23 rebounds, while Harris also had 31 points, with Desmond Bane's career-high 34 in vain for the Grizzlies.
The Miami Heat lost a second straight game and gave up their place at the top of the Eastern Conference after a 122-92 defeat to the Boston Celtics.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 29 points, as the Celtics moved to 27-25 for the season after a fourth successive win.
The Oklahoma City Thunder finally snapped their seven-game skid with a 98-81 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Gary Trent Jr. put up 31 points for the Toronto Raptors as they overcame the Atlanta Hawks 106-100.
Finally, the Cleveland Cavaliers posted a fifth straight home win as they overcame the New Orleans Pelicans 93-90, while Isaiah Jackson had a double-double for the Indiana Pacers in a 122-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Cover photo: IMAGO / Icon SMI