Warriors survive tough battle with Hawks for 12th consecutive victory

OAKLAND - Kevin Durant had 25 points and 14 rebounds, Draymond Green blocked two shots in the final 43.4 seconds and the Golden State Warriors held off the Atlanta Hawks and their strong bench 105-100 on Monday night for a 12th consecutive victory.

Stephen Curry scored 25 points with four 3-pointers, and Klay Thompson added 20 points as Golden State’s Big Three each reached 20 points for the second consecutive game.

The Warriors won their seventh in a row at home and fifth in a row against Atlanta at Oracle Arena while welcoming back Green from a one-game absence while injured.

Durant knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:57 left in the third quarter that pulled Golden State to 76-73. Then, as the period wound down, he dribbled over midcourt and found Ian Clark for a long 3 to beat the buzzer and cut Atlanta’s advantage to 81-80.

Durant’s jumper to start the fourth put the Warriors ahead, and Andre Iguodala followed with back-to-back baskets. Iguodala finished with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Dennis Schroder scored 24 points for the Hawks, and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 10 against his father’s former team. Dwight Howard added 14 points and 16 rebounds, while Paul Millsap had 14 points and 14 boards.

Durant recorded a double-double in consecutive games for the second time this season and had his sixth performance with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Yet in the first half, the Warriors hardly looked like their usual efficient selves on either end and trailed at halftime for the fourth time and second at home. They committed 11 turnovers that led to 16 points for Atlanta, got burned on defense while giving up easy baskets and missed their own open looks in shooting just 45.2 percent.

Green returned after missing Saturday’s hard-fought win against Minnesota because of a bruised left ankle sustained in a collision a night earlier at the Lakers that left Clark with a throat injury. Clark also sat out Saturday.

Green quickly made an impact in this one, forcing a turnover on Atlanta’s first possession and emphatically pointing to signal it was Golden State’s ball.

He dished out seven assists and first made a big block against Schroder before stuffing Kent Bazemore to finish with four blocks.

Malcolm Delaney and Thabo Sefolosha scored nine points apiece as Atlanta’s bench contributed 37, but the Hawks lost for the sixth time in seven games since beginning the season 9-2.

NOTES

Some fans lined up in their cars at the Oracle gates at lunchtime for a chance to be among the first 10,000 to receive the first Durant bobblehead with the Warriors.

Golden State is 5-0 vs. Eastern Conference teams after going 27-3 against the East last season.

Durant was chosen Western Conference Player of the Week, his 25th such honor and first since joining Golden State.

The Warriors recalled C Damian Jones from the D-League Santa Cruz Warriors but he was inactive and will play again in the D-League before getting any Warriors action, coach Steve Kerr said.

Golden State finished below 30 assists for the second consecutive game after going 10 in a row with 30 or more.