Warriors rally from way back to sink Celtics

NBA: When you’re sitting on the NBA’s best record like the Golden State Warriors, you don’t have to stress over every single game.

Because you usually win, anyway.

Stephen Curry scored 37 points on Sunday and the Warriors erased a 26-point deficit to beat the Celtics 106-101 in Boston.

“This was a fun challenge for us,” coach Steve Kerr said. “If we lost, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. But we were down and we came back. I was happy that we showed good poise.”

Klay Thompson scored 20 for the Warriors, Harrison Barnes had 17 and Draymond Green scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Isaiah Thomas scored 20 points off the bench for Boston, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Celtics led 56-30 midway through the second quarter.

“Twenty-whatever we were up in the first half felt like three to me,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said. “And 16 at halftime feels like two against those guys. They just come back so fast.”

“We didn’t want to be down 26,” Curry said after the Warriors played their fifth game on a six-game road trip, and the middle of a string of three games in four nights. “It seemed like it was sluggish there in the first quarter. We had to be mentally tough to make it an interesting game and close out the half.”

• Harden out-duels James: James Harden scored 33 points and LeBron James, who had 37 points, missed a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds left in overtime, helping Houston beat Cleveland 105-103.

James hit a 3-pointer with 43.5 seconds left to get Cleveland within one. Harden and James got tangled up on Houston’s possession, but there was no call and the shot clock expired.

James drove into the lane and was fouled by Josh Smith, but he missed both free throws to finish 3 for 11 at the line. Harden, who had his 26th 30-point game this season, added a free throw and Cleveland missed a 3.

Jagr has goal, assist in Panthers debut

NHL: Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist, and Florida beat Tampa Bay 4-3.

Jagr was acquired in a trade with New Jersey on Thursday for two draft picks. He gave Florida a 1-0 lead when he scored 10:24 into the game.

Tyler Johnson (24) and Steven Stamkos (35) had goals for the Lightning.

UConn knocks off No. 21 SMU 81-73

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Rodney Purvis scored a career-high 28 points and UConn upset No. 21 SMU 81-73 in Hartford, Connecticut, knocking the Mustangs out of first place in the American Athletic Conference.

Daniel Hamilton scored 14 of his 16 points in the final 7:41 and Ryan Boatright added 23 points for the defending national champion Huskies (17-11, 10-6), who won for the first time this season against a ranked opponent.

Markus Kennedy had 18 points to lead SMU (23-6, 14-3).

No. 13 Kentucky tops No. 2 South Carolina

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Jennifer O’Neill and Makayla Epps combined for 22 second-half points and No. 13 Kentucky made 27 free throws in beating No. 2 South Carolina 67-56 in Lexington, Kentucky, denying the Gamecocks (27-2, 15-1) an unbeaten season in Southeastern Conference play.

The Wildcats (21-8, 10-6) shot just 32 percent from the field but succeeded in getting to the foul line and converting 27 of 35 chances for their biggest win this season.

• Virginia duo drops No. 8 Louisville: In Charlottesville, Virginia, Faith Randolph scored 23 points and Sarah Imovbioh had 22 points and 17 rebounds as Virginia beat No. 8 Louisville 75-59. The Cavaliers (17-12, 7-9 ACC) used a 16-4 run to rally for just their second win in the seven games. The Cardinals (24-5, 12-4) shot 33 percent and lost for the second time in seven games.

• No. 16 Duke nips No. 15 UNC: Freshman Azura Stevens had 21 points and 12 rebounds and No. 16 Duke beat No. 15 North Carolina 81-80 (23-7, 10-6 ACC) in Durham, North Carolina. All-American Elizabeth Williams added 18 points for the Blue Devils (20-9, 11-5), who rallied from 12 down in the second half, blew most of a 15-point lead but held on to snap a three-game losing streak.

• Oregon shocks No. 19 Stanford: Jillian Alleyne registered her NCAA-best 27th double-double of the season, scoring 22 points with 12 rebounds, and Oregon upset No. 19 Stanford 62-55, snapping an 18-game losing streak to the Cardinal (21-9, 13-5) at Eugene. Oregon (13-16, 6-12 Pac-12) went on a 15-2 run early in the second half and a few moments later Amanda Delgado drilled a 3-pointer to put the Ducks up by 11 with 7:01 to go.

Loxsom breaks own U.S. 600 record

MISCELLANY: Casimir Loxsom broke his own American indoor record in the 600 meters, winning the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston in 1 minute, 15.33 seconds.

In the women’s pole vault, NCAA indoor record-holder Demi Payne, a rising star from Stephen F. Austin, overcame a shaky warmup to win at 14 feet, 11 inches, defeating defending champion Mary Saxer.

• Fenninger wins Alpine combined: Anna Fenninger of Austria kept up the pressure on overall leader Tina Maze with victory in the women’s Alpine combined World Cup race in fog-hit Bansko, Bulgaria.

Fenninger, the overall No. 2, further narrowed the gap with Maze, winning both legs of the race for a combined time of 2 minutes, 5.06 seconds.

• Long Beach gets first no-no: Freshmen right-handers Chris Mathewson and Darren McCaughan combined to throw the first no-hitter in Long Beach State history, beating visiting Wichita State 4-0.

Mathewson (1-1) struck out eight, walked one and hit two batters in seven innings and McCaughan struck out three.

• Former college baseball coach dies: Gordie Gillespie, one of the winningest coaches in college baseball history who also had success coaching football and basketball, has died. He was 88.

The University of St. Francis said Gillespie died at his home in Joliet, Illinois. He spent a quarter-century of his 59-year career as the baseball coach at the NAIA school.

Gillespie had 2,402 wins in four sports, though he is most remembered for his accomplishments on the baseball diamond, retiring in 2011 with 1,893 victories, which were the most in college baseball at that time at any level.