Stephen Curry returns, helps Warriors defeat Wizards

Stephen Curry returned from a three-game absence to score 24 points, new sidekick Buddy Hield provided 20 points and the Golden State Warriors remained unbeaten on the road with a 125-112 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

Curry, who sprained his left ankle on Oct. 27 against the Los Angeles Clippers, hit 4 of 9 on 3-point attempts, and Hield went 3-for-8 from deep, helping the Warriors improve to 4-0 on the road.

Washington’s Jordan Poole also scored 24 points and Kyshawn George added 20 but the Wizards lost their second straight.

The Warriors, who have won four in a row overall scored the game’s first seven points and never trailed. It took Curry, the NBA’s reigning 3-point champion, all of 39 seconds to get back into the act, burying a 27-footer that opened the scoring.

Down by as many as 17 late in the third quarter, the Wizards got as close at 101-96 on Carlton Carrington’s three-point play with 8:28 remaining. But Jonathan Kuminga countered immediately with a short jumper and Lindy Waters III drained a 3-pointer, re-establishing a double-digit lead.

Curry also added six assists for the Warriors, who have prevailed in their last three visits to the nation’s capital.

Draymond Green added 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Golden State, while Kuminga finished with 15 points, Trayce Jackson-Davis 12 and Moses Moody 10. Kevon Looney was Golden State’s leading rebounder with 10.

Poole shot just 2-for-10 on 3-pointers, while George was 6-for-17 as the Wizards went 10-for-43 (23.3 percent) from beyond the arc. The Warriors were 12-for-37 (32.4 percent) from deep.

Rookie Alexandre Sarr grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds to go with 10 points, while Jonas Valanciunas posted 16 points, 12 rebounds with and seven assists.

Carrington added 16 points for the Wizards, who were coming off a loss Saturday in Mexico City against the Miami Heat.