"You might've expected Warriors guard Monta Ellis, who learned Thursday he was not selected as an All-Star reserve, to have one of his captivating performances. You know, prove they were wrong.

Instead, the captivating performance was provided by his backcourt mate Stephen Curry.

The Warriors' third-year point guard finished with 36 points in Golden State's 109-101 win over Denver. He was 13 of 17 shooting and had seven assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal with just one turnover. Golden State (9-14) snapped a two-game losing streak and got a much-needed road victory.

"You can rave about the shooting, rave about the points," coach Mark Jackson said of Curry, "but he played the game tonight like he was in total control. … His stat line is a thing of beauty.""