Weary Warriors still too much for Cavs

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Tired, short-handed and eager to get home, the Golden State Warriors could have taken the night off.

Instead, they looked like a team that needs to be taken seriously.

Klay Thompson scored a career-high 32 points and the Warriors, playing without three starters and a key reserve, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-95 Tuesday night.

The Warriors were missing guard Stephen Curry (ankle), center Andrew Bogut (ankle) and forward Harrison Barnes (knee). Also, Carl Landry, one of the first players off Golden State’s bench, didn’t play because of a shoulder injury.

In all, the Warriors were missing an average of 49.1 points and 19.5 rebounds, but that didn’t matter. Golden State shot 54 percent, including 11 for 16 on 3-pointers as it hit the first nine from beyond the arc.

The Warriors took control in the second quarter and built a 16-point lead in the second half.

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the morning shootaround because he was sick, scored 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting in 36 minutes.

Irving was coming off the best week of his career when he averaged a league-best 35.7 points in three wins, was selected as a reserve to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and was named the conference’s player of the week on Monday.

“I just wasn’t there in terms of my mental focus,” Irving said. “That’s no excuse. I tried to play through it, but my normal energy wasn’t there. I’m just feeling like crap.”

BUCKS 117, PISTONS 90

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.

Brandon Jennings scored 20 of his 30 points in the third quarter, leading Milwaukee over Detroit.

Mike Dunleavy had 17 points and Monta Ellis added 14 for the Bucks, who led by as much as 29 points.

Rookie Andre Drummond had 18 points and 18 rebounds for Detroit.