LDN - Sports

Warriors win big as Cousins makes debut

[January 19, 2019] Stephen Curry scored 28 points and DeMarcus Cousins added 14 in his Golden State debut as the visiting Warriors extended their winning streak to seven games with a 112-94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Cousins, who missed nearly a year of action because of an Achilles injury, fouled out in just 15 minutes of court time. He shot 5 of 11 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, while adding six rebounds.

"It felt great to be out there. It's been a long journey," Cousins said postgame on ESPN. "A lot of ups and downs, a lot of dark days, a lot of good days, but this is where my love and passion is, so I'm just happy to be out here on the floor and out here with my teammates."

Tobias Harris scored 28 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 for the Clippers, who dropped their fifth consecutive game.

The Clippers were without high-scoring reserve guard Lou Williams because of a hamstring injury, and they lost starting forward Danilo Gallinari after one quarter because of lower back spasms. That duo has combined to average 38.1 points per game this season.

Kevin Durant scored 24 points while Klay Thompson added 12 as the Warriors overcame an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from 3-point range. They were just 5 of 29 (17.2 percent) after three quarters and finished 9 of 37 (24.3 percent) for the game. Thompson was 0-for-4 from 3-point range.

Even without their top two scorers, the Clippers gave the Warriors fits in the first half. Golden State had a 28-25 lead after one quarter and led just 52-51 at halftime.

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Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) slaps hands with teammate Andre Iguodala (9) after hitting a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Cousins started but sat after playing three minutes because of two fouls. His first basket with the Warriors came 1:26 into the game on a dunk. He showed the sharp-shooting Warriors his abilities from long range with his first 3-pointer less than a minute into the second quarter and hit two more to open the fourth quarter.

Even without their signature, long-range shooting game, the Warriors found their scoring touch in the third quarter, outscoring the Clippers 29-21 to take an 81-72 lead. Golden State took command with an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter.

The Clippers were held to 43 points in the second half and were 15-for-45 (33.3-percent) from the field in the final two quarters.

It was the Warriors' first game on the Clippers' home court since November, when teammates Draymond Green and Durant had a verbal exchange late in the game. The Warriors followed that incident by losing four of their next five games, but they also were without Curry, who was recovering from a groin injury.

--Field Level Media

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