The Golden State Warriors responded to the NBA return of their leader in a big way as Steve Kerr made his long-awaited season coaching debut on Friday after a medical absence.
Stephen Curry had 39 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his seventh career triple-double and the league-best Warriors beat the Indiana Pacers 122-110 for their 40th consecutive home win, with 24 of those home wins this season alone.
"It was great having him back," said Curry, who nailed eight triples, including a 50-foot heave off the glass to beat the halftime buzzer.
"He inspired me from the jump."
Kerr had missed 43 games with migraine headaches prompted by leakage of spinal cord fluid following two back surgeries in the off-season.
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Draymond Green finished with 22 points with 12 rebounds while Klay Thompson netted 18 for the defending league champion Warriors (40-4), who never trailed en route to their 40 consecutive home win.
Myles Turner topped Indiana (23-20) with a career-best 29 points while Monta Ellis added 18 against his former team.
Elsewhere, Aussie Patty Mills had 12 points as the San Antonio Spurs beat the LA Lakers 108-95.
Argentinian Manu Ginobili scored a season-high 20 points, newly minted all-star Kawhi Leonard added 18 and the surging Spurs (38-6) rolled the lowly host Lakers (9-36) for the Spurs' 13th consecutive victory.
Retiring Kobe Bryant scored five points on the 10th anniversary of his 81-point game against Toronto but the Lakers (9-36) lost their fifth in a row.
The Charlotte Hornets needed overtime to down the Orlando Magic 120-116.
Kemba Walker put up 40 points, Spencer Hawes hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 17 seconds in overtime and the Hornets (20-23) edged the Magic to stop a 10-game road slide.
In other games, the LA Clippers thrashed the New York Knicks 116-88, the Boston Celtics overcame the Chicago Bulls 110-101 and the Utah Jazz outclassed the Brooklyn Nets 108-86.
Houston Rockets edged Milwaukee Bucks 102-98, Toronto Raptors defeated Miami Heat 101-81 and Oklahoma City Thunder pipped the fast-finishing Dallas Mavericks 109-106.
