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Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors recorded one of their most impressive wins of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The Dubs were down by 19 points at one stage but rallied back to win the tie 116-96.
After the game, Curry mentioned that their defense played a role in helping them secure the victory despite the Warriors being in a difficult situation.
"Our identity is our defense," said Curry. "It's pretty impressive, just the energy flip that happened." (via Nick Friedell)
Stephen Curry finished the game with 25 points and 10 assists. He shot nine of 16 from the floor, including six of 11 from three-point land.
Stephen Curry battled hard against his brother, Seth Curry, during this match. Seth recorded a team-high 24 points for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Golden State Warriors are now 16-2 for the season. The win against the Sixers was their ninth straight double-digit home win.
The Warriors lead the NBA right now in defensive ratings (99.7) and are now second-best in offensive ratings (113). Their two-way play has worked brilliantly so far.
The most impressive thing to note about Steve Kerr's side is that they are yet to see starters Klay Thompson and James Wiseman suit up for them. The duo have been recovering from long-term injuries and are weeks away from returning.
Nevertheless, the Golden State Warriors continue to get contributions from all their players this time around to go along with Stephen Curry's impressive MVP-caliber run. The sharpshooter is averaging a league-high 28.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
Have Stephen Curry and Golden State Warriors made their case to be favorites to win the Western Conference?
The Golden State Warriors weren't as favored as the LA Lakers before the start of the season to win the West. Many felt the absence of Klay Thompson early in the campaign would have hampered their chances of being the hot favorites.
However, the Dubs have successfully managed to change the narrative 18 games into the start of the campaign.
The Golden State Warriors have made crucial acquisitions in Andre Iguodala, Nemanja Bjelica, Otto Porter and Gary Payton II this season. It did not take long enough for them to fit into Steve Kerr's plans and they have been huge for the team on several occasions.
Along with them, the likes of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Juan-Toscano Anderson have been brilliant as well, giving Stephen Curry and Draymond Green excellent support.
The Golden State Warriors have had an easy schedule, but they haven't looked out of sorts against some of their tougher opponents either. They recorded blow-out wins over the LA Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and the rising Chicago Bulls too.
These factors have strengthened their case as the top favorites to win the Western Conference and make their first NBA Finals appearance in three years.
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