Durant Leads Warriors' 2nd Straight Win Over Lakers
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kevin Durant had 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat the injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in three days, 109-85 on Friday night.
Stephen Curry scored 24 points and Klay Thompson had 18 in the Warriors' 10th consecutive victory. They followed up their 43-point win in Oakland on Wednesday with another comfortable win in these clubs' fifth meeting in 43 days.
Draymond Green had 12 points and eight rebounds before leaving in the third quarter with a bruised left ankle from a collision with teammate Ian Clark.
Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points for the Lakers, who played without injured starters Julius Randle, Nick Young and D'Angelo Russell.
Los Angeles beat the Warriors three weeks ago at Staples Center, but couldn't keep up this week. The Lakers gave up 149 points on Wednesday, and they never made it close Friday with three of their top five scorers sidelined.
The Lakers were the last team to beat the Warriors, notching a 20-point blowout on Nov. 4. Since then, Golden State has found the rhythm necessary to become the powerhouse everyone expected when Durant abandoned Oklahoma City to join up with the two-time defending Western Conference champions in July.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Clark was prone under the basket when Green fell and tripped over his head. Clark was hit in the throat, but showed no sign of a concussion, the Warriors said. Green had a bruised ankle. ... After all of this early season exposure, these teams don't finish their season series until April 12 in Oakland. ... Curry missed a breakaway dunk in the second quarter, drawing laughter throughout the arena. Staples Center's video board replayed the miss after the next timeout and then cut to Curry, who was grinning broadly.
Lakers: Clarkson moved back into LA's starting lineup with Young sidelined. Jose Calderon had seven points in his fourth start in Russell's place. ... Lakers coach Luke Walton said he didn't review tape of Wednesday's loss: "I told our film guy I would throw him out of our room if he put that game on my laptop."
TOO-FAMILIAR FOE
Counting two preseason games, the Lakers and Warriors have played each other five times in just over six weeks, giving Walton plenty of time for friendly trash talk with his former players and his coaching mentor, Steve Kerr. Neither coach was particularly happy with the quirky schedule.
"It has been strange," Kerr said before the game. "I don't think I've ever seen a schedule like this, where you see a team five times in two months."
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host Timberwolves on Saturday.
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