The Golden State Warriors exploded for 50 points in the third quarter Thursday to roar past the Los Angeles Clippers 123-113 in their first game after the NBA All-Star break. NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry had 20 of his 35 points and Kevin Durant added 15 of his 25 in the third period — when the Warriors erased a 12-point halftime deficit and put themselves on the road to their 10th straight victory over their Western Conference rivals. The Warriors had scored just 18 points in the second quarter — 49 in the first half — as the Clippers seized the initiative despite the absence of injured point guard Chris Paul. Paul's stand-in, Austin Rivers, scored 11 of his 19 points in the first half. Jamal Crawford added 19 for Los Angeles and All-Star DeAndre Jordan added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers. But the Warriors overwhelmed them in the third, making 17 of their 23 shots, including nine of 15 from three-point range. Curry notched his 15th 30-point game of the season. He also contributed seven rebounds and five assists. Durant, who left the court to have X-rays on his left pinkie finger in the second quarter that proved negative, pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds and handed out seven assists as the Warriors improved their league-leading record to 48-9. The reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers also returned from the All-Star break with a victory. LeBron James recorded his sixth triple-double of the season as the Cavaliers maintained their mastery over the New York Knicks with a 119-104 triumph. James scored 18 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and handed out 15 assists for the 48th regular-season triple-double of his career. Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 23 points, while Kyle Korver added 20 off the bench. But coach Tyronn Lue was disappointed with a lackadaisical third-quarter effort that let the Knicks narrow the deficit, forcing him to play James late rather than rest him. The reigning champion Cavaliers won their fourth straight and are 8-1 in February. It was their 10th straight win over the Knicks. Making the defeat more painful, Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis hurt his ankle and didn't return for the second half. He finished with eight points in 16 minutes before the injury, which was diagnosed as a sprain. In Detroit, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 27 of his 33 points in the second half as the Pistons rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit to beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-108 in overtime. Tobias Harris added 25 points and pulled down seven rebounds for the Pistons, who handed the Hornets their fifth straight defeat. Caldwell-Pope scored 11 points in the final 2:17 of regulation and seven more in overtime. His three-pointer with 18.2 seconds left in regulation tied the game after the Pistons trailed by 15 going into the fourth quarter. Newly acquired guard Lou Williams scored a team-high 27 points to lead six players in double figures, and the Houston Rockets forced 20 turnovers to spoil the Twin Towers debut of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins with a 129-99 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Rockets led by as many as 35 points in the third quarter and coasted to the victory by making 20 of 51 from behind the arc. Other Rockets in double figures were Eric Gordon (19), Ryan Anderson (17), Clint Capela (13), James Harden (13) with 14 assists and Montrezl Harrell (10). Davis led the Pelicans with 29 points. Damian Lillard scored 33 points, including 17 in a fourth-quarter comeback, to lead Portland to a 112-103 victory over Orlando. The Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak despite trailing for most of the game. The Magic lost for the sixth time in seven games. Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere combined for 41 points, and Sacramento Kings opened a new era without DeMarcus Cousins by blasting Denver Nuggets 116-100 at the Golden 1 Center. — Agencies
