Golden State Warriors (59-13) at Milwaukee Bucks (36-36), 8:30 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Golden State Warriors can set a franchise record for wins in a season and clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference when they visit the Bradley Center Saturday night to take on the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Warriors have won eight in a row and are inching closer to clinching the best record in the Western Conference. Their next victory, or a Memphis Grizzlies' loss will give Golden State the No. 1 seed in the conference.
The Warriors trounced the Grizzlies, 107-84, on Friday in Memphis.
Stephen Curry posted 38 points with 10 assists to lead Golden State and pad his MVP cause. Klay Thompson checked in with 28 points and Draymond Green added 10 points for the Warriors.
"Solid effort and it continues the stretch we have been on the last couple of weeks," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I think we have gotten better just understanding our purpose out there on the floor."
Curry scored the first five points of the second half as Golden State grabbed a double-digit edge. He canned successive 3s later in the quarter to extend the lead to 21, and Golden State brought an 85-65 lead into the fourth.
The Warriors led by as many as 24 as they improved to 39-0 this season when holding their opponents under 100.
The Bucks have won two in a row after a six-game losing streak. They opened this four-game homestand with an 18-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but knocked off the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.
On Thursday, Milwaukee won its Central Division matchup with the Pacers, 111-107.
Ersan Ilyasova netted 34 points with six rebounds to lead the Bucks.
Khris Middleton recorded 17 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 and Michael Carter-Williams added 13 points, eight assists and five rebounds before fouling out.
"We kept our composure, stayed strong and did anything to get the win," Carter-Williams said. "We're fighting. We knew this was a big game."
The Pacers, who trailed by as many as 23 in the first half, continued to chip away at the deficit. George Hill buried three straight 3-pointers to help Indiana cut the margin to 94-92 with 5:42 remaining, but Carter-Williams answered at the other end with a three-point play. Carter-Williams then assisted on Middleton's trey that stretched the advantage back to eight with under five minutes to play.
Roy Hibbert netted a jumper with 19.9 seconds left to close within two before Antetokounmpo split a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 110-107. Hill dribbled out the clock and got a decent look at a tying 3-pointer, but it rimmed out and the Bucks held on.
The Bucks are sixth in the Eastern Conference and firmly so. They trail the fifth-rated Washington Wizards by 4 1/2 games and lead the No. 7 Heat by three games.
The Warriors have won three in a row over the Bucks, but the Bucks are 4-1 in their last five as the host over Golden State.