Oakland, California: Stephen Curry burnished his NBA Most Valuable Player credentials by scoring 22 points and adding seven assists to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 101-86 win over the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals on Sunday.
In the East, Bradley Beal shook off a sprained ankle to score 28 points as Washington knocked off top-seeded Atlanta 104-98 in Game 1 of their series.
After the Warriors rolled to victory, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that Curry has won the Most Valuable Player award for the season.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league has not released the voting results. An official announcement is expected Monday, and Curry will be presented with the award on the court before Game 2 on Tuesday.
Curry pushed the pace from start to finish, and the Grizzlies never could slow Golden State down. The Warriors went ahead by 16 in the second quarter, and Curry kept the pressure after Memphis moved within seven.
Asked about the MVP award following the game, Curry said he had no idea he had won.
“Obviously, I know what the situation is, and just trying to focus on the game, and if I get a call (Monday), I’ll definitely be happy, and there will be a lot of people that can be proud of that moment, as well, and we’ll enjoy it,” he said.
Klay Thompson added 18 points and Draymond Green scored 16 to help the top-seeded Warriors roll to their 21st straight victory at home.
Marc Gasol had 21 points and nine rebounds, and Zach Randolph finished with 20 points and nine rebounds for a Memphis team missing point guard Mike Conley. He sat on the bench in a suit, his left eye still swollen as he continues to recover from surgery to repair broken bones in his face.
In Atlanta, the well-rested Wizards wore down the Hawks in the fourth quarter, with Otto Porter scoring a couple of big baskets and Marcin Gortat sealing the victory with a layup off a pass from John Wall with 14.6 seconds remaining.
Wall had 18 points and 13 assists and Paul Pierce added 19 points for the Wizards, who became the first team in NBA history to win four straight Game 1s on the road, improving to 8-1 in the play-offs away from Washington over the past two years.
After racing to a 37-26 lead after the first quarter, Atlanta couldn’t make any baskets late in the game. The Hawks shot just 5 of 28 in the final period, including 1 of 10 from 3-point range.
DeMarre Carroll had another big game for Atlanta with 24 points, but went scoreless in the final quarter. Kyle Korver made only 5 of 15 shots, Al Horford was 7 of 19, and Jeff Teague went 4 of 14.
