LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Two-time defending champion Golden State had all five starters in double figure scoring and the Warriors maintained the best record in the Western Conference by clobbering the Indiana Pacers, 112-89, on Thursday.
DeMarcus Cousins returned from a two-game injury absence to help lead a third quarter demolition as the Warriors held on to their half game lead over the Denver Nuggets for top spot in the conference.
The Warriors improved to 49-22 on the NBA season and snapped a four-game losing skid at home.
Indiana dropped to 44-29 and saw their lead over Boston (43-29) trimmed to a half-game in their fight for the fourth seed in the East.
The Pacers loss also means the Milwaukee Brewers claimed the division title for the first time since 2001.
Golden State led 53-43 at halftime thanks to a 18-10 surge in the second quarter. They then busted the game open in the third quarter taking a 70-48 six minutes in and breezed from there.
“Tonight I thought our spirit and our energy were fantastic,’’ coach Steve Kerr said.
Cousins, who finished with 19 points, missed the final two games of Golden State’s just completed four-game trip with a sore ankle.
Klay Thompson (18 points), Kevin Durant (15), Stephen Curry (15), Iguodala (11) and Draymond Green (10) also scored in double figures for the Warriors.
Curry backed up his 15 points with a game-high seven assists and drained five of his 12 three-point shots.
Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic tallied 15 points and 11 assists as Denver used a balanced attack to win their fifth straight game with a 113-108 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Torrey Craig added 15 points for the Nuggets, who were playing for the first time since punching their ticket to the playoffs on Monday in a win over the Boston Celtics.
