The magical season continued for the Golden State Warriors as they eased to victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-95, led by the Splash Brothers.
The Warriors, who most recently clinched their first Pacific division title since the 1975-1976 season, added to their accolades tonight. With the win, they clinched the Western Conference and the best record in franchise history, winning 60 games for the first time.
The Bucks, meanwhile, are looking to maintain the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. However, with the loss, they dropped below .500 but still own a two and a half game lead over the seventh seeded Miami Heat and a four-game lead over the ninth seeded Brooklyn Nets.
The Warriors jumped on the Bucks right away in this game, but their inability to take care of the ball allowed Milwaukee to stay close despite shooting 23.8 percent in the first quarter. Golden State committed seven first quarter turnovers but shot 45 percent from the field.
The Warriors created some separation in the second quarter and took a 10-point halftime lead. In the third period, Stephen Curry found himself in foul trouble and had to sit with a little over seven minutes to go in the quarter. From there on, Klay Thompson started to take over.
Thompson notched 17 points in the third quarter to push his team ahead by 19 points. In the fourth quarter, it was Curry’s turn. He hopped back into the game and added 11 points in the period, including three makes from behind the arc. The Warriors cruised to a 108-95 victory to earn their 26th road win of the season, which is also a franchise high.
Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala were both given the night off. This was the first game Green missed all season. He may earn some more off nights as the season dwindles.
In Green’s absence, David Lee got the starting nod and recorded 12 points and four rebounds on 6 of 8 shooting. James Michael McAdoo saw 23 minutes off the bench and put in 12 points as well.
The Splash Brothers combined for 46 points, which is right at their season average. Curry finished with 25 points, six assists, and four rebounds while hitting six three-pointers. Thompson added 21 points, four assists, and five rebounds.
The Bucks were held to 37.9 percent shooting for the game as they were led by Khris Middleton’s 14 points. Ersan Ilyasova, after recording a career-high 34 points on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers, only had eight points on 1 of 10 shooting. Zaza Pachulia and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 12 points apiece, and Jared Dudley had 13 points off the pine.
The Warriors were a plus-30 from behind the arc, hitting 48 percent of their threes compared to Milwaukee’s 13.3 percent. Golden State shot 51.2 percent overall, which made up for their 22 turnovers. They have now won nine straight games and improved to 60-13 on the season.
The Bucks have dropped the last seven out of nine games and have fallen to 36-37. They will next take on the East-leading Atlanta Hawks on Monday, March 30th. The Warriors will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers on Tuesday in what should be an intriguing contest considering the heated rivalry between the two teams.