What we learned as Steph's eruption saves Dubs in win vs. Bucks

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The Warriors on Saturday night at Chase Center led after the first quarter, second quarter and third quarter. It looked like they were about to squander the lead in the fourth quarter. 

That is, until Steph Curry said otherwise in a thrilling 125-116 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Curry put on a superstar display in the fourth quarter and overtime that will be seen across all highlight shows. He led the Warriors with 36 points. A slow start didn't matter for the all-time legend. 

Of his 36 points, 29 came between the second half and overtime.

Klay Thompson dropped 22 points, Donte DiVincenzo's 20 points were huge and JaMychal Green scored a season-high 18 points off the bench. For so long, the Bucks were the better team -- even without their best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Down the stretch, the Warriors' grit on their home court gave them the win to a snap a three-game losing streak.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors improving to 35-33 on the season, and 28-7 at home.

Second-Half Splash Brothers

Going into halftime, JaMychal Green was the Warriors' leading scorer with 13 points. DiVincenzo was right behind with 12. The Splash Brothers -- Curry and Thompson -- had combined for ... 11 points.

Curry was 3 of 9 in the first half, and made only one of his five shots from beyond the arc. Thompson had three fouls to his name and just one made shot. Then came the second half. 

Klay came alive with 11 points and three 3-pointers in the third quarter. Curry added seven as the Warriors held a slim lead going into the fourth. The final period in regulation, though, was all about No. 30. 

He scored 13 points in the fourth, with his clutch gene oozing out of his right arm. Enjoy it, all of it. Three days before his 35th birthday, Curry reminded everyone how special he truly is. 

In overtime, Curry added another nine points and Thompson gave Golden State four as well. They're the greatest shooting backcourt ever for a reason. This was a statement, and a loud reminder why.

Milwaukee Men

Milwaukee natives Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole swapped spots Saturday night in San Francisco. Poole went back to the bench, with Looney back in the starting lineup. Here's how the two performed against their hometown team.

Looney did what he always does, grinding away at all the little things in a game. The rim wasn't kind throughout the night to Looney as he went 3 of 11 shooting. But he also finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points and had a game-high 15 rebounds. 

He also snagged a career-high five steals.

Poole's up-and-down season continued. All four of his assists came in the first quarter. He scored 13 points off the bench, but was 4-of-13 shooting overall.

Then there's DiVincenzo. The former Buck enjoyed another great game against his old team. Along with his 20 points, DiVincenzo made six threes and had 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. The eye test matched the advanced numbers as DiVincenzo was a plus-17.

Breaking The First-Quarter Curse

Hug a friend, share a kiss and crack open a cold one. The Warriors, in what feels like an eternity, finally led after the first quarter. In reality, it took a month to do so. 

Though it ended with a Bobby Portis corner 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Warriors were up 28-26 going into the second quarter. That marks the first time since Feb. 11, exactly one month ago, where the Warriors were up after the first quarter. 

They had gone 11 straight games without the lead after the end of one period, and trailed in 10 of those. 

Breaking the ugly streak came with a surprise contributor, too. Curry wasn't the one putting on a show. He only had two points and missed both of his 3-point attempts. Thompson scored four points and picked up two early fouls.

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JaMychal Green was the one putting up points in bunches. The veteran big man scored 11 points in just under six minutes off the bench, going 4 of 7 from the field and 3 of 5 on threes. 

The Warriors committed one fewer turnover than the Bucks in the first quarter, had three more assists and grabbed two more rebounds than them. That works. Now, it's about the Warriors repeating their first-quarter success and staying out of early holes.

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