Stephen Curry -- Warriors 'level up' as stakes get higher - ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry split two Denver Nuggets defenders, knocked down a 20-foot pull-up shot while being fouled and let out a scream while stomping his feet.

Curry and the Golden State Warriors continued to make noise Friday night, winning their fifth straight game with a 118-104 victory over the Nuggets at Chase Center.

"[There's a] sense of urgency down the stretch," Curry said. «The feeling of where you are in the standings, every game mattering. And the idea that the chess match of 'how do we win this particular game?' becomes a little bit more important.

He added: „We thrive off of that. That's why we've been so successful for this many years. Because as the stakes rise, the lights get brighter, we tend to level up.“

Curry has raised his level. He made seven 3-pointers and scored 36 points to beat the Nuggets. In the past three games, Curry has scored a total of 125 points, second only to LeBron James for most points in a three-game span by a player age 37 or older, according to ESPN Research.

»In three different cities at 37," Warriors coach Steve Kerr added. «He looked so fast out there tonight, and I think maybe it's the most underrated part of his game, is his conditioning. Just incredible what he does out there, especially considering how much attention he draws defensively, how much pressure people put on him, and he handles it night after night and flourishes.»

Since Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline, the Warriors have been a completely different team, going 21-5 since Butler made his debut in Chicago on Feb. 8.

Draymond Green proclaimed during All-Star weekend that the Warriors will win the championship with Butler. This week, they made a statement. The Warriors won three