Warriors win 11th straight, cap perfect trip in Indiana
Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) is fouled by Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
INDIANAPOLIS — Stephen Curry scored 23 of his 26 points in the first half, DeMarcus Cousins added 22 and the Golden State Warriors extended the league’s longest winning streak this season to 11 with a 132-100 rout of the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Kevin Durant had 16 points for the Warriors, who have won a league-best 10 consecutive road games and got their first sweep on a five-game road trip since November 2014. And Draymond Green didn’t even play.
Myles Turner scored 16 points and Bojan Bogdanovic had 15 but Indiana dropped its second straight since losing All-Star guard Victor Oladipo to a season-ending knee injury. The Pacers also played without Tyreke Evans, Oladipo’s replacement, because of a sore back.
But even at full strength, the Pacers would have had difficulty weathering the Warriors’ flurry.
Curry scored eight straight to break a 16-16 tie midway through the first quarter and Golden State never looked back. The Warriors closed the quarter on a 24-6 run to make it 40-22 against the league’s top scoring defense.
NUGGETS 95, GRIZZLIES 92
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 24 points and made a go-ahead basket with 28.9 seconds left, and Denver overcame a 25-point, second-half deficit to beat Memphis.
Will Barton’s 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining gave the Nuggets their first lead of the game at 91-89. After a 3-pointer from Memphis’ Justin Holiday, Jokic scored inside to put Denver ahead to stay.
Malik Beasley had 18 points, 13 in the fourth quarter to key Denver’s rally. Barton had 20 points, and the Nuggets moved to 34-15, the best start in franchise history.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 28 points and nine rebounds, and Mike Conley had 23 points and 11 assists.
It was the largest deficit that Denver has overcome this season.
CELTICS 112, NETS 104
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 21 points, and Boston beat Brooklyn to snap the injury-riddled Nets’ six-game winning streak.
Aron Baynes had 16 points, Marcus Morris 15, and Al Horford and Terry Rozier each had 14 for Boston, which tied a franchise record with 16 blocked shots and won for the sixth time in seven games. Horford had 11 rebounds.
The Celtics played without star guard Kyrie Irving, who was sidelined with a sore left hip.
D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 25 points and Shabazz Napier had 20. Brooklyn had won 19 of its previous 24 games.
HORNETS 101, KNICKS 92
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kemba Walker and Tony Parker each had 15 points, Malik Monk had four clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Charlotte handed New York its 10th straight loss.
Monk scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help ignite a 17-1 run as Charlotte improved to 17-8 at home.
Kevin Knox had 19 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. 17 for the struggling Knicks, who have won one game since beating the Hornets on Dec. 14.
