Griffin scores 44 to power Pistons

Blake Griffin scored 44 points in his return to Staples Center for the first time against his old team, and the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 on Saturday to snap a four-game skid.

Griffin was greeted with cheers during pregame introductions and received a standing ovation after a first-quarter video tribute from the team that drafted him first overall in 2009.

He stuck his right arm in the air and then brought his raised hands together in a thankful gesture without smiling. He clearly wanted to beat the team that stunningly traded him last January after he had signed a five-year, $171 million extension.

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A Warriors 146, Bulls 109: Stephen Curry joined some elite company on a list that he figures to top in the not-so-distant future. Curry made five threepointers to move into third place all-time in NBA history behind Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, and host Golden State rolled past Chicago in its most lopsided win of the season. Curry moved past Jason Terry with back-to-back threes early in the third quarter and ended a 28-point night with 2,285 three-pointers in his career, trailing only

Allen (2,973) and Miller (2,560).

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A Mavericks: A person with direct knowledge of the injury says Dallas guard J.J. Barea has a torn right Achilles tendon, a season-ending setback for a key reserve. Barea was injured in the second half of the Mavericks’ at Minnesota on Friday night.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the team hadn’t announced an update on Barea’s condition.