In brief: Stephen Curry scores 51, Warriors rally past Mavs
NBA: Stephen Curry scored a season-high 51 points and made a season-best 10 3-pointers, rallying the Golden State Warriors from an early 22-point deficit to down the Dallas Mavericks 128-114 on Wednesday night in Oakland, California.
Curry connected on 10 of 16 shots from beyond the arc and 16 of 26 overall. The All-Star point guard and MVP candidate put on a dazzling dribbling display to match his streaky shooting stroke, helping the NBA-leading Warriors (39-8) complete their biggest comeback of the season in front of a roaring sellout crowd of 19,596.
Chandler Parsons scored 24 points, and Tyson Chandler had 21 points and 17 rebounds in a disappointing defeat for Dallas, which played without injured point guard Rajon Rondo again. The Mavericks led 40-18 in the first quarter before Curry carried Golden State back.
• Hawks top Wizards: Jeff Teague scored 26 points, Al Horford added 21 and the host Atlanta Hawks got back to winning after their first loss in more than a month, pulling away from the Washington Wizards for a 105-96 victory on Wednesday.
The East-leading Hawks were coming off a 115-100 loss at New Orleans that snapped their franchise-record, 19-game winning streak. They made sure it didn’t turn into a different kind of streak, overcoming a dismal third quarter to beat the Wizards for the third straight time this season.
John Wall had 24 points but it wasn’t enough to keep Washington from its season-high fourth straight loss.
• Hawks starters honored: The Atlanta Hawks were rewarded for the first 17-0 month in NBA history with another first on Wednesday — all five starters were selected Eastern Conference players of the month for January.
All-Stars Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Al Horford were honored by the league, along with the other starters, Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll. They all averaged in double figures for the month but none were at 20 points per game, showing the balance that has marked the team’s ascent.
• Howard ruled out: Rockets star Dwight Howard is out indefinitely after receiving an injection in his right knee.
The team said he will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.
Howard is averaging 16.7 points per game and leads the team with 11.2 rebounds a game.
Duke edges Ga. Tech, Coack K. sets mark
Men’s basketball: Quinn Cook scored all 17 of his points in the second half, and No. 4 Duke beat Georgia Tech 72-66 in Durham, North Carolina, to give coach Mike Krzyzewski his Atlantic Coast Conference-record 423rd league win.
Justise Winslow added 15 points and fellow freshman Jahlil Okafor had 14 for the Blue Devils.
Krzyzewski, who earned his 1,000th career victory Jan. 25 at St. John’s, surpassed former North Carolina coach Dean Smith as the winningest in ACC play.
Chris Bolden scored 16 points and Marcus Georges-Hunt had 14 for the Yellow Jackets. Eight of their ACC losses have come by single digits.
• Purdue knocks off OSU: Rapheal Davis scored 20 points and Purdue staved off a late rally to upset No. 20 Ohio State 60-58 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The surging Boilermakers have won four straight overall and three in a row over ranked teams — the first time they’ve done that as an unranked team since early 1979.
The Buckeyes were led by D’Angelo Russell’s 20 points, but his 40-foot desperation heave at the buzzer came up way short. Ohio State played without freshman Marc Loving, who was suspended indefinitely for unknown reasons.
Packers DT Guion faces felony charges
NFL: Authorities said that Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion had been arrested in Florida on felony charges of drug and firearm possession after a traffic stop turned up three-quarters of a pound of marijuana, a 9mm handgun and a bag containing more than $190,000 in cash.
Guion was released from Bradford County jail on $100,000 bail.
He signed a one-year contract with Green Bay last offseason and finished with 32 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks.
• Cards shake up staff: The Arizona Cardinals have promoted linebackers coach James Bettcher to defensive coordinator and made several other changes to coach Bruce Arians’ staff.
The 36-year-old Bettcher fills the job vacated when Todd Bowles became head coach of the New York Jets.
The Cardinals also hired Bob Sanders as linebackers coach and Wesley Goodwin as assistant to the head coach. Mike Chiurco was promoted to defensive assistant/defensive backs coach.
Hamilton has surgery, could miss opener
Baseball: Los Angeles Angels slugger Josh Hamilton could be out for two months after surgery on his right shoulder, putting in doubt his availability for opening day.
Hamilton’s shoulder has been bothering him since last September.
The Angels open April 6 at Seattle and it’s uncertain whether the 33-year-old left fielder will be ready by the beginning of the season.
• Two Cubans defect: Two Cuban baseball players, 19-year-old pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez and 29-year-old shortstop Dainer Moreira, have apparently abandoned the team.
The team is in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the Caribbean Series.
• Rockies sign Kendrick: Free agent pitcher Kyle Kendrick and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a $5.5 million, one-year contract.
The 30-year-old right-hander is 74-68 with a 4.42 ERA in eight major league seasons, all with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Snow throws off World Championships
Miscellany: The men’s super-G race at the world championships in Beaver Creek, Colorado, was postponed to Thursday because of too much snow on the course.
That means a powder day for Bode Miller, who’s returning to the slopes after two months out after back surgery, as well as the rest of the American team.
Miller also plans to race in the downhill on Saturday.
• Bucks arena plan panned : Robin Vos, the speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly says Gov. Scott Walker’s plan for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena has “zero chance” of passing in its current form.
Walker’s proposal is to have the state borrow $220 million in bonds to help pay for the arena. Vos said that the Assembly will only go along if the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County also help pay for the stadium.