Click here if you’re having trouble viewing the video or gallery on your mobile device. OAKLAND – The shots became easier to make. The joy also became infectious. That is usually what happens when Stephen Curry steps onto the court. That is also usually what happens when the Warriors maximize their All-Star talent with ball movement and effort. Hence, the Warriors cruised to a 121-114 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at Oracle Arena nearly 24 hours after experiencing a 35-point loss to Dallas. The Warriors (50-23) also created a one-game cushion over the Denver Nuggets (49-23) for the best record in the Western Conference with nine regular-season games remaining. In related news, Curry finished with 26 points while shooting 9-of-19 from the field and 5-of-10 from 3 after missing Saturday’s loss to Dallas. “He looked fresh right from the outset,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Obviously the rest is not just for one night. It’s for the long haul. It was the right thing to do. He looked great out there.” So did plenty of other players. Klay Thompson subscribes. You can too for just 11 cents a day for 11 months + receive a free Warriors Championship book. Sign me up! Klay Thompson added 24 points while going 10-of-17 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3. Kevin Durant added 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting while dishing out 11 assists. Draymond Green bolstered the team with playmaking (14 points, eight assists) and physical defense on Pistons forward Blake Griffin. It might be hard to anticipate which Warriors team shows up these days against non-descript opponents. On Saturday, the Warriors experienced their most lopsided defeat of the season against a Dallas Mavericks team that owns the second-worst record in the Western Conference. On Sunday, the Warriors experienced minimal hiccups against a Detroit Pistons (37-36) team fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But the Warriors had a good indication things would turn out much differently against the Pistons. The primary reason? Curry returned. “Pretty much everything has to do with Steph being on the floor,” Durant said. “He creates so much on the pick and roll, with his movement and 3-point shooting. Just his presence out there opens up a lot for us. It was huge and good to have him back.” Aside from an 11-game absence from a left groin injury, Curry had otherwise proven durable in his 10th NBA season. He already has logged more games this season (60) than last season (51) amid overlapping ankle injuries. Prior to Saturday’s game against Dallas, Curry had appeared in 44 consecutive contests. But Dr. Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance, recommended for Curry to miss a game. Want Warriors news delivered to your phone? Sign up for a free trial of Mark Medina’s Warriors text messaging service * * * “I felt great,” Curry said. “To be honest, when they brought the idea up, it wasn’t on my radar at all. I was feeling good. I try to pride myself on being available.” The Warriors downplay that it had anything to do with Curry’s wife, Ayesha, celebrating her 30th birthday this weekend. Instead, Kerr observed that Curry appeared tired in the past two weeks. Curry also has shot 42.4 percent from the field in 12 games through March and 41.3 percent in 10 games through April. That marked a sharp contrast from his shooting in January (46.4 percent) and February (51.5 percent). “It wasn’t a fatigue thing. To me, it was how the game was going,” Curry said. “”It’s a lot about rhythm now at this point and getting close to the playoffs and wanting to be fresh and a good vibe and chemistry. I got to balance all of that.” Either way, Curry conceded “feeling a little bit of fresher legs” after spending the weekend celebrating his wife’s birthday while also staying active with his shooting workouts and training sessions. The Warriors hope the same thing happens to their other players. Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins missed Sunday’s game because of “load management,” marking the third time he did not play in the team’s entire back-to-back slate to prevent any complications with his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon. Kerr planned Cousins will sit in part of the Warriors’ two remaining back-to-back slates this season. Warriors forward Andre Iguodala also missed Sunday’s game as part of the team’s season-long quest to rest him occasionally to ensure he stays fresh for a presumed postseason-run. As for Curry, though, the Warriors do not plan on sitting him again anytime soon. The Warriors’ success largely hinges on it. “Doubt it’ll happen again,” Curry said. “But I definitely have to take advantage of it.” WARRIORS HQ PODCAST: Be sure to visit our podcast page at mercurynews.com. You can also get notified of new episodes on iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher and SoundCloud. * * * Follow Bay Area News Group Warriors beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.<doc-sep>Stephen Curry returned from a one-game absence to hit five 3-pointers and total a game-high 26 points Sunday night as the Golden State Warriors shook off the embarrassment of a 35-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks one day earlier to turn back the Detroit Pistons 121-114 in Oakland, Calif. The Golden State win, coupled with Denver's loss at Indiana earlier in the day, allowed the Warriors to move a half-game ahead of the Nuggets in the race for the best record in the Western Conference. The loss dropped Detroit from sixth to seventh in the Eastern Conference and further jumbled the five-team battle for the final three playoff spots. That duel also includes the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets. Blake Griffin had 24 points, and Andre Drummond had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Pistons, who shot 46.4 percent overall and 12 for 31 (38.7 percent) on 3-pointers. Spurs 115, Celtics 96 LaMarcus Aldridge scored 48 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as visiting San Antonio rolled to a win over reeling Boston to snap a two-game losing streak. Aldridge's points were the second-most of his career, following his 56 in a double-overtime win over Oklahoma City earlier this season. DeMar DeRozan added 16 points for the Spurs, who have won 10 of their past 12, while Patty Mills hit for 12 points off the bench, and Jakob Poeltl grabbed 10 rebounds for San Antonio. Marcus Smart led the Celtics with 14 points, with Marcus Morris and Gordon Hayward adding 13 each, and Kyrie Irving and Daniel Theis scoring 11 points apiece. Hayward paced Boston with 10 rebounds and Irving had 12 assists as the Celtics lost their fourth game in a row. Rockets 113, Pelicans 90 James Harden scored 28 points and Houston clinched a playoff berth with an easy victory over host New Orleans. Harden, who leads the NBA with an average of 36.4 points per game, didn't sustain the pace that saw him score a combined 118 points in the previous two games, but it wasn't necessary. He played just 29 minutes as the Rockets rolled to a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter and cruised to their 14th victory in 16 games and remained in third place in the Western Conference. Frank Jackson scored 19 points, Julius Randle added 15, Stanley Johnson scored 13 and Anthony Davis had 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pelicans, who lost for the eighth time in nine games as they played the opener of a five-game homestand. Hornets 115, Raptors 114 Jeremy Lamb's desperation 48-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer gave visiting Charlotte a stunning victory in Toronto. After the Raptors trailed by 14 points less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Kawhi Leonard gave them the lead on a jumper with 45 seconds left, then made a block at the other end. But the Hornets had one big play left in them, and they won their third straight game. Kemba Walker scored 15 points and added 13 assists and eight rebounds for the Hornets, who were led in scoring by Dwayne Bacon with 20 points. Miles Bridges added 16 points, Willy Hernangomez and Lamb had 13 each, and Devonte' Graham and Marvin Williams 10 points each. Pacers 124, Nuggets 88 Bojan Bogdanovic exploded for 35 points while teammates Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis recorded double-doubles as host Indiana avenged a loss to Denver last week in a duel of teams battling for NBA playoff positioning. The win allowed the Pacers, coming off a four-game road losing streak that included a 102-100 defeat in Denver on March 16, to solidify their standing as the No. 4 team in the Eastern Conference with just eight games remaining. Meanwhile, the Nuggets failed in their quest to win a 50th game as they challenge Golden State for the top spot in the West, with the Warriors ending Sunday with a half-game lead. Bucks 127, Cavaliers 105 Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 26 points and 10 rebounds as host Milwaukee posted a 22-point victory over Cleveland. George Hill and Khris Middleton each had 17 points, and Brook Lopez scored all 14 of his points in the first half for the Bucks, who avenged a 107-102 setback to the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Antetokounmpo sat out that contest with an ankle injury, but he made his presence felt on Sunday by shooting 11 for 16 from the floor and adding seven assists and four blocks. Kevin Love highlighted his 20-point performance with four 3-pointers and added 19 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who fell to 6-30 away from home. Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points, and rookie Collin Sexton added 18 in the loss. Clippers 124, Knicks 113 Lou Williams scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, while Danilo Gallinari added 26 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer as surging Los Angeles ran its winning streak to five games while handing host New York its 60th loss. Gallinari reached 20 points for a career-high ninth straight game and teamed with Williams to spark the Clippers to their 10th win in 11 games. The Knicks have lost four straight and 12 of their last 13 games. They must win at least three of their eight remaining games to avoid exceeding the worst record in team history (17-65 in 2014-15). Lakers 111, Kings 106 LeBron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to lead Los Angeles past visiting Sacramento. Kyle Kuzma also scored 29 points and JaVale McGee overcame early foul trouble to finish with 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks for the Lakers, who ended a five-game losing streak. Marvin Bagley III had 25 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Kings, who fell 6 1/2 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for eighth place in the Western Conference with nine games left. --Field Level Media<doc-sep>Detroit Pistons (37-34) at Portland Trail Blazers (44-27) When: 10 p.m. tonight. Where: Moda Center, Portland, Ore. TV: FSD+ and NBATV. Radio: 950 AM or 104.3 FM (Pistons radio affiliates). • Box score Game notes: The Pistons play their second of a four-game Western trip. Portland's second-leading scorer CJ McCollum (knee) remains out. ... These two teams play again next Saturday in Detroit. The Blazers have won five of six and sit fourth in the West. The Pistons are sixth in the East. Analysis:Thon Maker plays hungry. Pistons will need it during playoff push Twitter updates Live updates for mobile users.<doc-sep>
Late Saturday night, after watching his team fall by 35 points to the lottery-bound Mavericks, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was driving home when he thought about how seldom blowout losses have been in his five-year tenure. “The first three years of this run, I don’t think we had a single game like that,” Kerr said. “Think about what these guys are doing night after night after night — taking everybody’s best shot, playing deep into June. It’s actually surprising that there haven’t been more of those nights over the years.” On the rare occasions Golden State is routed, it almost always wins the next game. Sunday was no exception. Twenty-four hours removed from the most lopsided home defeat of the Kerr era, the Warriors exorcised Saturday’s embarrassment, riding egalitarian offense to a 121-114 victory over the Pistons at Oracle Arena. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle With Stephen Curry back after resting against the Mavericks, Golden State switched quickly off screens, spread the floor and shot a season-high 61.3 percent from the field. It was a return to the norm for a team that, before Saturday’s loss to Dallas, had won four of five games and begun to channel its dominance. In outlasting the Pistons, the Warriors dished out 32 assists and made 13 of their 25 3-point tries. Curry — rested after his day off — hit five 3-pointers, corralled nine rebounds, and chipped in 10 of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter to help Golden State build a 20-point cushion. Klay Thompson scored 24 points on just 17 shots, and Draymond Green (14 points, eight assists) and Kevin Durant (14 points, 11 assists) were effective passers. Green set an aggressive tone defensively. Green, who grew up in Saginaw, Mich., nagged Detroit forward Blake Griffin (24 points, eight assists) and forced him into a slew of off-kilter shots. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle In the waning seconds of the third quarter, Green forced Griffin into a jump-ball situation, climbed to his feet, and raised his arms for fans to get louder. It was quite a contrast from Saturday, when the home crowd booed the Warriors. Asked why the Warriors played better, Durant said, “We got beat by (35 on Saturday), that was the reason why. No matter what that game was, no matter what time of the year it is, you get beat by (35), you don’t want to get embarrassed like that again or just lose the next night. I think we came out with a nice sense of urgency.” With Sunday’s victory, the Warriors moved a half-game ahead of Denver for the Western Conference lead. They have made it clear, however, that home-court advantage throughout the playoffs won’t trump health. Interactive How Curry's 3-point shooting changed the game Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. On the second game of a back-to-back Sunday, the Warriors rested DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Iguodala. Kerr conceded pregame that the team has planned to sit Cousins for one game apiece during its final two back-to-backs: the Lakers (April 4) and Cavaliers (April 5); the Pelicans (April 9) and Grizzlies (April 10). Odds are, even if the Warriors drop the front end of those back-to-backs, they’ll rebound the following night. Golden State moved to 17-6 this season after losing a game. Since 2014-15, the Warriors have a 66-18 record after a loss in the regular season, the best such mark in the NBA. “Tonight was a bounce-back game for us,” point guard Shaun Livingston said. “It’s just good to get back on the board, especially how we finished (Saturday) night.” Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron