Warriors 122, Kings 103
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Shooting guard Klay Thompson scored eight of his team-high 29 points in a flurry early in the third quarter that included the ejection of Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, and the Golden State Warriors outlasted their Northern California rivals 122-103 Monday night en route to their 15th consecutive home win this season.
Point guard Stephen Curry, held scoreless for the game's first 20 minutes, contributed a 23-point, 14-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to Golden State's 11th straight win over the Kings, three of which have come this season.
The Warriors (29-1) completed a 5-0 homestand and earned their 33rd win in a row at home dating back to last season.
Golden State finished the 2015 calendar year 42-1 at home.
The Warriors, playing for the first time since an emotional win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day, trailed by as many as 11 points in the second quarter and 61-58 at halftime before tightening the defensive screws on Sacramento small forward Omri Casspi during the decisive first 5:52 of the third quarter.
After small forward Brandon Rush got the Warriors even at 61 with the first basket of the second half, a 3-pointer, Thompson gave Golden State its first lead since the first quarter with a 3-pointer.
He later added another 3-pointer and a layup to cap a 21-5 run that finally put the Warriors in command at 79-66 with 6:08 remaining in the quarter.
Thompson also shared the third-quarter defensive assignment on Casspi with Warriors supersub Andre Iguodala.
They combined to hold Casspi, who scorched Golden State for seven 3-pointers and 26 points in the first half, without a field goal during the decisive spree.
Casspi wound up the game's leading scorer with 36 points for the Kings, who were playing the second half of a back-to-back. Sacramento (12-19) lost 98-94 at home to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
Casspi shot 13-for-18 from the field, making nine of his 12 3-point shots.
For the second consecutive night, Kings coach George Karl was denied win No. 1,155, which would have tied him with Phil Jackson for fifth place on the all-time list.
Cousins had seven points and four rebounds in 12 minutes before getting the heave-ho on a pair of technical fouls that immediately followed his fifth personal foul at the 8:57 mark of the third period.
The Kings big man, who was nailed with his first foul just nine seconds into the game and sat out much of the first half with three personals, became furious with referee Mitchell Ervin when called for his fifth foul while helping out on Curry around the hoop.
Cousins threw up his arms and approached Ervin, which got the attention of lead referee Monty McCutchen, who called the first technical.
That pushed Cousins over the top, and he was assessed a second "T" after charging toward Ervin in front of the Sacramento bench.
Cousins hadn't played in either of the teams' first two meetings this season.
The ejection left the Kings without a true center, as Willie Cauley-Stein (dislocated finger) and Kosta Koufos (illness) both missed the game.
The third-quarter burst came after Curry and Casspi put on an electrifying shooting display in the final 7:14 of the first half, during which Sacramento built as much as an 11-point lead.
Casspi had 17 points over that span, making six consecutive shots, including five 3-pointers.
The Warriors got within 61-58 by the second period's end, setting up the third-quarter turnaround, thanks to Curry, whose first field goal came on a 3-pointer with 3:16 left in the half.
He followed with five more hoops, including four more threes, in a personal 17-point answer to Casspi.
Power forward Draymond Green had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Warriors, who made 20 of their 42 3-point attempts.
Forward Rudy Gay added 17 points for the Kings.
NOTES: Golden State SF Harrison Barnes (sprained left ankle) missed his 13th consecutive game, but he returned to practice and likely will make the club's two-game trip to Dallas and Houston later this week. ... Warriors PF Draymond Green and Kings PG Rajon Rondo began the night tied for the league lead in triple-doubles with four. Each recorded one against his Northern California rival earlier this season. ... The last team to win at least 33 consecutive home games was the Chicago Bulls, who won an NBA-record 44 in a row bridging the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons. ... The top four on the NBA's list of winningest coaches are Don Nelson (1,335), Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Jerry Sloan (1,221) and Pat Riley (1,210). ... Fifty-eight of Kings coach George Karl's wins came during a 146-game stretch coaching the Warriors during the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons.