Stephen Curry's heroics overshadow Aaron Gordon's 50-point night in Warriors' OT win

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — On a career night for Aaron Gordon, Stephen Curry did what he does so often and stole the show.

Curry hit a tying 3-pointer late in regulation and scored 16 straight points for Golden State down the stretch to help the Warriors overcome Gordon's 50-point night and beat the Denver Nuggets 137-131 on Thursday night.

“It’s kind of like a playoff type vibe where somebody has an out-of-body experience and you dig deep to steal one pretty much,” said Curry, who finished with 42 points.

Gordon had the seventh 50-point season opener in NBA history and tied a record for the first game of a season by making 10 3-pointers — three more than he had ever made in a game.

But it wasn't enough thanks to the way Curry played down the stretch.

“It sucks,” Gordon said. “They were asking if I wanted the game ball. No. I don’t want to take the L with me. It sucks. But it’s one game. It’s our first game.”

The Warriors were down seven late when Curry got to the line and made two free throws with 2:42 to play. He then was fouled on a 3-pointer the next trip down and made all three after encouraging the crowd to get loud before he went to the line.

Curry then tied it with 1:24 to play with only to watch Gordon answer with a 3 of his own to put Denver 120-117 with 25.7 seconds to play.

“Ridiculous,” Curry said of Gordon's 10-for-11 shooting night from long range. “Whatever he did this summer worked.”

Curry took little time to respond, using a pick and roll to get a crack of space and using that to make the game-tying 3 with 21.4 seconds to play.

“On that one I was able to kind of do a little snake and I saw just a little bit of daylight,” Curry said. “Decisive. No second guessing what you’re doing.”

The shot left the Nuggets marveling.

“He hit a super tough shot to send it to OT,” Gordon said. “That’s Steph being Steph.”

The game went to overtime when Nikola Jokic missed a shot in the lane just before the buzzer. Curry led the way with seven points in the extra session and got help from 3-pointers from Al Horford and Jimmy Butler to get the win that improved Golden State to 2-0 on the season.

Curry even did his signature “night night” move after Butler's 3 put the Warriors up six in the final minute of overtime.

The Nuggets now head home wondering how they squandered such an impressive night from Gordon, who broke Alex English's franchise record of 47 points in a season opener and tied Terry Rozier's NBA record with 10 3-pointers in an opener.

“I feel awful for Aaron,” coach David Adelman said. “Aaron had a night I'll never forget. I know he won't. So tough loss. We had so many chances to win the game, to control the game. Give them credit. They just keep coming.”

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Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon reacts after making a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) gestures toward forward Jimmy Butler III, left, who scored a 3-point basket, during overtime of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Conservative Party, which governed the country from 2010 until it suffered its worst-ever electoral defeat two years ago, was plunged into fresh turmoil Thursday after its leader sacked the man widely seen as her greatest rival for apparently plotting to defect from the party.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said in a video and statement on X that she sacked the party's justice spokesperson Robert Jenrick due to “irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect" in a way that was “designed to be as damaging as possible” to the party.

Badenoch also ejected Jenrick from the party's ranks in Parliament and suspended his party membership.

“The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I,” she said. “They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in this government. I will not repeat those mistakes.”

Though Badenoch did not specify which party Jenrick was planning to switch to, Nigel Farage, leader of the hard-right Reform UK party, said he had “of course” had conversations with him.

In the past 12 months, the Conservatives have suffered a string of defections to Reform UK, including some former Cabinet ministers.

Farage said in a press briefing in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, that coincided with Badenoch's statement that, “hand on heart,” he wasn't about to present Jenrick as the latest Conservative to defect to Reform, an upstart, anti-immigration party.

“I’ll give him a ring this afternoon,” he said. “I might even buy him a pint, you never know.”

The Conservatives are fighting not just the Labour government to their left, but Reform UK to the right. Reform has topped opinion polls for months, trounced the Conservatives in last May’s local elections and has welcomed a stream of defecting Tory members and officials.

Jenrick, who has continued to attract speculation about leadership ambitions despite being beaten in 2024, has appeared more open than Badenoch to the prospect of some sort of deal between the Conservatives and Reform in the run-up to next general election, which has to take place by 2029.

Jenrick has yet to respond to the news of his sacking.

The Conservatives remain the official opposition to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour.

Badenoch, a small-state, low-tax advocate, has shifted the Conservatives to the right, announcing policies similar to those of U.S. President Donald Trump, including a promise to deport 150,000 unauthorized immigrants a year.

Her poor poll ratings and lackluster performance in Parliament had stirred speculation that she could be ousted long before the next election.

However, she has been making a better impression in Parliament in recent weeks in a way that appears to have cemented her position as leader.

The party is no stranger to turmoil, having gone through six leaders in the space of 10 years, five of them serving as prime minister. Widespread anger at the way the Conservatives were governing Britain led to their defeat at the general election in July 2024, when they lost around two-thirds of their lawmakers, their worst performance since the party was created nearly 200 years ago.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage addresses protesters outside the Iranian embassy, in London, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)

Kemi Badenoch with Robert Jenrick before being announced as the new Conservative Party leader following the vote by party members at 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London, Nov. 3, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)