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WARRIORS
NBA

Warriors break one mark, now set sights on Lakers' all-time record streak

Sam Amick
USA TODAY Sports
Warriors guard Stephen Curry celebrates against the Lakers at Oracle Arena.

OAKLAND – So … now what for these must-watch Golden State Warriors?

Having downed the Los Angeles Lakers 111-77 Tuesday night at Oracle Arena to improve to 16-0 and set a new record for best regular season start in the NBA’s 70-year history, the next-best record in their sights is the 1971-72 Lakers’ 33-game winning streak. That's down the road, so we’ll settle for this bit of more-reasonable musing: might the Warriors head into their Christmas Day Finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers a perfect 28-0?

It they remain healthy - and maybe squeeze in a nap or two over the next month - it’s entirely do-able.

In terms of strength of opponents, it’s safe to say the Warriors will be the odds-on favorites at Phoenix, vs. Sacramento, at Utah, at Charlotte, at Toronto, at Brooklyn, at Indiana, at Boston, at Milwaukee, vs. Phoenix, vs. Milwaukee and vs. Utah.

Here’s a deeper look…

All things Warriors: Latest Golden State Warriors news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Interim coach Luke Walton the breakout star of Warriors' hot start

• Before considering key factors like the road-home split and the timing of games (back-to-backs; three-games-in-four-nights etc.), consider this: the nine teams the Warriors play in the next 12 games entered Tuesday with a combined record of 78-88. Only four of those teams had winning records – all from the Eastern Conference (Charlotte, Toronto, Indiana, Boston).

• The road is a bear no matter how dominant the team, and the 8-4 road-home split will be challenging. But keep this in mind, the Warriors are no ordinary squad when they’re away from home. Last season, they were a league-best 28-13 on the road, followed by 7-3 in the postseason and 7-0 so far this season.

• The timing might be the toughest part. Golden State, which has a league-high-tying 20 back-to-back sets in all this season, has three of them in this next month (at Phoenix-vs. Sacramento on Friday and Saturday; at Toronto-Brooklyn on Dec. 5-6; at Boston-Milwaukee on Dec. 11-12). What’s more, they have three stretches with three-games in four nights.

Kobe Bryant thinks Warriors can make run at 33-game win streak record

• It’s not as if the Warriors’ schedule to this point has been easy. According to ESPN.com, their strength of schedule entering Tuesday was tied with the Houston Rockets for the 18th. And if not for the unexpected struggles of playoff teams like the Rockets (5-9), Clippers (6-7), Grizzlies (7-7) and Pelicans (3-11), that standing would be higher. New Orleans, for those who were wondering, has had the toughest road schedule so far. Dallas (9-5) has had the easiest.

Now should they get through this gauntlet and find themselves still unbeaten by the time the New Year rolls around, the Warriors’ record-tying chance (based on the parameters of a single-season winning streak) would come on Jan. 2 at home against Denver. The record-breaking game would be two days later against Charlotte at Oracle Arena.

Yes, the Warriors won the last four game of the 2014-15 regular season and thus can claim this to be a 20-game winning streak at present. But the league recognizes both overall winning streaks and the single-season variety, and this observer won't consider the '71-72 Lakers unseated unless it's the latter. And should the Warriors get to that point where this debate heats up, anyone nearing Oracle Arena should have earplugs at the ready.

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