Warriors 122, Pacers 110
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Steve Kerr returned from complications following back surgery to coach his first game Friday night, and watched his Golden State Warriors record a 38th consecutive home win, a 122-110 triumph over the Indiana Pacers.
Point guard Stephen Curry buried 48- and 60-footers, only one of which counted, in a 39-point, triple-double performance, helping the Warriors sweep the two-game season series from the Pacers for the first time since 2000-01.
Curry's eighth 3-pointer of the game provided the crowning blow after the Pacers had gotten as close as six in the fourth period.
Indiana began the quarter on a 7-0 run, capped by a three-point play from rookie guard Joe Young, to trim a 13-point deficit to 88-82 in the second minute of the period.
But Warriors backup guard Leandro Barbosa had five of his 13 points to stem the tide, and Golden State put out several small fires before Curry connected from 24 feet on the right side for a 109-96 advantage with just 4:15 to play.
Curry finished with 12 assists and 10 rebounds to go with his 39 points, giving the Warriors 10 triple-doubles this season, which equals their franchise record.
Shooting guard Klay Thompson, who had 39 points in a 131-123 win at Indiana on Dec. 8, added four 3-pointers and 18 points in all for Golden State (40-4), which remained two ahead of San Antonio (38-6) in the battle for best record in the NBA entering their showdown Monday night.
Kerr, who had attended most Warriors games recently and had led many of the January practices, had been sidelined by headaches resulting from the leaking of spinal fluid that was a product of his offseason back surgery.
He coached Friday's game seated alongside Luke Walton, who had replaced Kerr for the first 43 games of the season and earned Western Conference Coach of the Month honors for October/November.
Power forward Draymond Green had a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Warriors, whose third straight victory allowed them to reach 40 wins in a season faster than any other team in NBA history other than the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who did it in 43 games.
The Warriors are 20-0 at home this season.
Backup center Myles Turner had 31 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers (23-20), who were missing point guard George Hill (birth of son), center Ian Mahinmi (sprained left ankle) and key reserve Rodney Stuckey (sprained right foot).
Turner, a rookie, was coming off a 25-point outing in Indiana's 97-94 win at Phoenix on Tuesday.
Monta Ellis had 18 points, all in the second half, and Young recorded his third straight double-figure scoring night with 16 as Indiana lost for the second time in three outings on their four-game Western swing that ends Saturday night in Sacramento.
Pacers star Paul George was held to 12 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
Curry's first-half buzzer-beater gave Golden State a 64-51 advantage after the Pacers, down by as many as 17 at one point, had climbed back within seven 34 seconds earlier.
The 48-footer came from 12 feet closer than a nearly identical fling he made just after the buzzer sounded to end the first period.
The Pacers got the better of most of the second quarter, including a 6-0 burst late in the period that allowed them to get within 58-51 in the final minute.
But Curry countered immediately with a straight-away 3-pointer with 28.4 seconds left, before sending the crowd into a halftime frenzy with his 48-footer after a Glenn Robinson III miss.
Curry and Thompson had 15 points apiece in the half, including a 3-pointer each in a 16-2 flurry over a 3:04 stretch that opened a 25-8 lead in the game's seventh minute.
The Pacers got back into the game thanks to a 33-14 edge in bench points in the half. Turner (13) and Young (11) combined for 24 of those points.
NOTES: Asked before the game to assess the performance of his replacement, Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Luke Walton by saying: "We didn't skip a beat; we actually got better." ... Kerr took a positive approach to Warriors PF Draymond Green not getting voted into a starting spot on the Western Conference All-Star team, insisting, "I'd be shocked if he didn't make it as a reserve." ... Pacers coach Frank Vogel noted of Kerr's return: "We have a knack for big moments for teams, with Kobe (Bryant) announcing his retirement against us and Steve Kerr coming back against us." ... The Pacers expect PG George Hill (son's birth) to return to the team on Saturday in Sacramento after missing the first three games of the club's trip. ... The Warriors (98.8) and Pacers (98.9) entered the game ranked second and third, respectively, in fewest points allowed per 100 possessions.