DeMarcus Cousins contributed six points to a third-quarter runaway in his return to the lineup Thursday night, helping the Golden State Warriors blow out the Indiana Pacers 112-89 in Oakland, Calif. All five starters scored in double figures as the Warriors were able to retain a half-game lead over Denver in their duel for best record in the Western Conference. The Pacers saw their lead over Boston trimmed to a half-game in their fight for the fourth seed in the East. Cousins, who had missed the final two games of Golden State's just completed four-game trip with a sore ankle, recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes of action. Klay Thompson had 18 points, and Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry each scored 15 for the Warriors. Tyreke Evans had a game-high 20 points off the bench, and Thaddeus Young 18 for the Pacers, who went 0-4 on a Western swing. Hawks 117, Jazz 114 Rookie Trae Young scored 23 points, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:47 remaining, and Atlanta hung on to beat visiting Utah. Dewayne Dedmon made a free throw with 6.2 seconds left to give the Hawks a 117-114 lead. Utah's Kyle Korver then missed two free throws, the second on purpose, and Donovan Mitchell missed a 3-pointer that was rebounded by Atlanta's Kent Bazemore as the clock expired. The win broke Atlanta's three-game losing streak and snapped Utah's five-game winning streak. The Jazz got 34 points from Mitchell, his second straight 30-point game. Nuggets 113, Wizards 108 Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 11 assists, and visiting Denver held off Washington for its fifth straight win. Eight Nuggets scored in double figures, including Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Torrey Craig at 15 points each. Bradley Beal scored 25 points for the Wizards, who have lost three straight. Thomas Bryant added 22. Hornets 113, Timberwolves 106 Kemba Walker scored 31 points, and host Charlotte rolled to a much-needed victory over Minnesota. The Hornets scored seven straight points early in the fourth quarter to gain a working margin, and then they went on to lead by as many as 11 down the stretch, the latest at 111-100. The Hornets had lost four of their previous five and 11 of their previous 15. The Timberwolves, who got 21 points and 16 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns, have lost five straight. Kings 116, Mavericks 100 Buddy Hield scored 29 points, and host Sacramento took care of Dallas. The Kings bounced back after blowing a 25-point, fourth-quarter lead in their last outing against visiting Brooklyn on Tuesday, resulting in a 123-121 loss. Hield connected on seven 3-pointers and now has made 238 treys. He trails Peja Stojakovic by only two for the most in a single season in Kings history. Marvin Bagley III came off the Sacramento bench to score 22 points and grab 12 rebounds, and Willie Cauley-Stein had 10 points and 18 rebounds. Former Kings forward Justin Jackson led the Mavericks with 19 points. Luka Doncic scored 13 points and hauled down 10 boards. Pistons 118, Suns 98 Wayne Ellington scored 23 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Detroit pulled away for a win at Phoenix. Detroit's Blake Griffin had 17 points, seven rebounds and eight assists despite shooting 4 of 17 from the field. Andre Drummond supplied 16 points and 19 rebounds, and Luke Kennard also scored 16 points to help the Pistons win for the third time in four games. Devin Booker led the Suns with 26 points, and rookie Deandre Ayton contributed 20 points and eight rebounds. — Reuters
