Warriors hand Nuggets 5th straight loss, 109-101

DENVER — Golden State coach Mark Jackson thought Stephen Curry's stat line was a thing of beauty.

Not so his dance.

After sinking one of his six 3-pointers as the Warriors pulled away from the Denver Nuggets for a 109-101 victory Thursday night, Curry did the old shimmy-shake as he trotted back downcourt.

It was admittedly the only blemish of the night for Curry, who scored a season-best 36 points and sank 13 of 17 shots, including 6 of 9 from behind the arc.

"Just a spectacular night. When you look at that stat line it's a thing of beauty," said Jackson, who didn't extend his rave review to Curry's lame dance move.

"I tried to hold my laugh and stay in coach mode but I had to giggle," Jackson said. "Now I know why my dad told me to stop doing it."

Curry was embarrassed by what he fears will become the most mocked dance by an athlete since New England Patriots tight end Rob Growkowski was caught on camera dancing the night away shirtless after the Super Bowl last weekend.

"I don't know what got into me," Curry said. "But I turned around and I saw (Jackson). We had joked about it earlier that it was his signature move. I haven't practiced it but I'm scared to look at the film. That was the first time and probably the last time."

The Nuggets had more of a problem with his hot hand than his shimmying shoulders.

They lost their fifth straight game overall and their fifth straight at home, too. They've lost seven of eight as they fight through injuries, absences, physical fatigue and mental exhaustion.

The eight-point differential doesn't begin to tell how lopsided this one was.

The Warriors shot 52 percent both overall and from 3-point range, sinking 13 of 25 from behind the arc, they blocked 14 shots to Denver's one and started the second half with a 24-5 run.

Klay Thompson scored a career-best 19 points, Dorrell Wright had 15 and Monta Ellis 14 for the Warriors, who used a 37-20 third quarter to put this one away.

"That was horrible," Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo said. "You've got to give the Warriors credit, but on our home floor, that was horrible."

Trailing 51-47 at the half, Golden State opened the third quarter with a 14-2 run sparked by three jumpers from Curry and a fadeaway basket by Ellis that made it 61-53.