Stephen Curry Scores 49, Outduels Kyrie Irving as Warriors Beat Celtics

The Boston Celtics (35-15) and Golden State Warriors (40-10) entered Saturday night as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, and based on the way things played out, fans likely won't be upset if they're representing the East and West come June. 

In a potential NBA Finals preview, the Warriors defeated the Celtics 109-105 at Oracle Arena, as Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving brought down the house with a sensational shot-making display that amounted to the ultimate game of one-upmanship. 

Curry, in one of his trademark zones, paced the defending champions with a season-high 49 points on 16-of-24 shooting, including 8-of-13 from three. 

And after he nearly outscored the Celtics by himself in the third quarter—Boston posted a narrow 19-18 edge—Curry scored 13 points over the final 1:45 of regulation to hand the Warriors their third straight win. 

Kyrie vs Steph: Game Highlights

Following Saturday's eruption, Curry has now made at least five threes in five straight games. According to ESPN Stats & Info, George McCloud (six games, 1995-96) is the only player in league history with a longer streak. 

Irving was scintillating in his own right. 

An efficient machine who torched the Warriors inside and out, the five-time All-Star poured in a team-high 37 points on 13-of-18 shooting. He was also a perfect 5-of-5 on three-point attempts prior to missing a heave as the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded. 

As the two floor generals put on a clinic, LeBron James and several others chimed in with a batch of virtual applause: 

Beyond Curry, the Warriors didn't have much else clicking. 

Kevin Durant (20 points, 7-of-18 shooting) and Klay Thompson (seven points, 3-of-12) both failed to find a rhythm, and they combined to hit a single three-point attempt. In fact, Curry accounted for all but two of Golden State's long-range conversions. 

The story was similar for the Celtics. 

Although Jaylen Brown (20 points) came out scorching and dropped 14 points in the first quarter, he slowed down over the final 36 minutes as the Warriors ratcheted up their defensive intensity. 

And while Al Horford (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Marcus Morris (12 points) produced quality outings, Boston couldn't make up enough ground with Jayson Tatum effectively silenced to the tune of four points on 2-of-9 shooting. 

Having lost five of their last six games, the Celtics will look to find some more stable footing Monday when they travel to the Pepsi Center for a meeting with the Denver Nuggets. 

On the flip side, Golden State will aim for a fourth straight win when it embarks on a three-game road trip that begins Tuesday against the Utah Jazz.