Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson scored 31 points apiece, Kevin Durant had 27, and the hot-shooting Golden State Warriors routed the host Denver Nuggets 142-111 on Tuesday night.

The Warriors set an NBA record for a first quarter by scoring 51 points. The previous record of 50 points was held by five teams, with the Phoenix Suns the last club to accomplish the feat on Nov. 10, 1990.

Overall, Golden State shot a scorching 60 percent from the floor, including 53.8 percent from 3-point range, in a battle of the top two teams in the Western Conference. The Warriors hit 10 3-pointers in the first period to set a franchise record and finished 21 of 39 from long distance.

Curry finished 8 of 13 and Thompson 5 of 8 from 3-point range.

Malik Beasley scored 22 points, Jamal Murray had 21 and Nikola Jokic added 17 points and eight assists for Denver, which had its 12-game home winning streak snapped.

The Warriors obliterated the Nuggets' second-ranked 3-point defense by hitting 71.4 percent from long range in the first quarter.

Durant had 17 in the first quarter and capped the period with a 3-pointer and a dunk in the closing seconds. Denver kept it respectable because of Murray, who hit a half-court buzzer-beater to cut the deficit to 13.

Golden State pushed the lead to 23 in the second quarter, but Denver rallied to cut a 72-52 deficit to 12 with eight straight points. However, the Warriors scored the last seven points of the first half to lead 79-60.

Golden State didn't let up in the third quarter. Thompson opened with a 3-pointer and Curry scored five points to give the Warriors an 89-66 lead. Denver made a small surge, but Golden State finished off the Nuggets with another flurry in the last 4:12 of the third.

Curry hit a trio of 3-pointers and had 11 points and Durant scored five in a 16-5 run that made it 112-83 heading into the fourth quarter.

Curry, Durant and Thompson combined for 83 points through the first three quarters, matching Denver's total.

--Field Level Media