Warriors rout Nuggets after record opening quarter

DENVER (AP) :

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each scored 31 points as the Golden State Warriors, propelled by an NBA-record, 51-point first quarter, regained the top spot in the Western Conference by routing the Denver Nuggets 142-111 on Tuesday night.

Golden State cruised to a fifth straight win to move a half-game in front of the Nuggets, who had their 12-game hom-winning streak snapped.

The showdown between the top two teams in the conference proved a little too big for the Nuggets, with Curry and Company putting on a shooting exhibition all night long. The clinic began early with the Warriors erupting for 51 points in the opening quarter, breaking the old mark of 50 held by several teams. The last time it happened was also against Denver when Phoenix scored 50 on November 10, 1990.

Golden State shot a blistering 60 per cent from the field, had 38 assists and hit 21 3-pointers in leading wire-to-wire. Kevin Durant finished with 27 points and Draymond Green was a plus-41 as he had 13 assists to go with four points.

Malik Beasley finished with 22 points for the Nuggets. Big man Nikola Jokic struggled with early foul trouble, finishing with 17 points and eight assists in 23 minutes.

76ERS 149 TIMBERWOLVES 107

Joel Embiid had 31 points and 13 rebounds, and Philadelphia scored 83 points in the first half in a thrashing of Minnesota in Jimmy Butler's first game against his former team.

The Golden State Warriors were the only team to score more first-half points in a game this season when they dropped 92 on the Chicago Bulls on October 29. The Sixers hit a team-record 21 3-pointers and reached their highest point total in the 22-year history of the Wells Fargo Center.

Butler scored 19 points in the first meeting with Minnesota since it sent him to the 76ers in a package deal that brought forwards Robert Covington and Dario Saric in return. Covington and Saric were popular core pieces of Philadelphia's Trust the Process rebuild, and both received massive ovations from an appreciative crowd in tribute videos.

HAWKS 142 THUNDER 126

Trae Young had 24 points and 11 assists to win the showdown of past and former Atlanta point guards, leading the Hawks over Oklahoma City.

Former Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder scored 21 points in his return to Atlanta. Schroder struggled early but, had 14 points in the third period when the Thunder outscored the Hawks 41-27 to reclaim the lead.

Atlanta was similarly dominant in the second period, outscoring Oklahoma City 45-30 to match its high mark for any quarter this season. After holding a big lead of 15 points, the last time at 70-55, the Hawks led 70-59 at halftime.

Tuesday's results: Indiana 131, Phoenix 97; Philadelphia 149, Minnesota 107; Atlanta 142, Oklahoma City 126; Milwaukee 124, Miami 86; Golden State 142, Denver 111; L.A. Lakers 107, Chicago 100.