NBA Standings 2019: Warriors Tie Nuggets For West's Most Wins With DeMarcus Cousins' Return Looming

The Golden State Warriors (27-14) hit the halfway point of the 2018-2019 NBA season Tuesday night with their 122-95 win over the dreadful New York Knicks (10-31). The defending champs are still a heavy favorite to successfully defend their title, but they are having their worst year since the dynasty began in the 2014-2015 season.

Golden State is on pace to finish the season with 54 wins. The Warriors haven’t won fewer than 58 games in any of their previous four seasons, recording at least 67 victories three times. Stephen Curry missed 31 games and Kevin Durant sat for 14 games last year when Golden State went 58-24 as the Western Conference’s No.2 seed.

The Warriors are, once again, second in the West standings. They trail the Denver Nuggets (27-12) by a game for the top spot in the conference after winning four of their last five games.

The Nuggets and Warriors are scheduled to meet in Denver on Jan. 15.

It won’t be long after they play Denver that Golden State will get a major addition to their roster. DeMarcus Cousins is expected to make his season debut on Jan. 18 against the Los Angeles Clippers, according to multiple reports.

Cousins hasn’t played an NBA game since he ruptured his Achilles tendon on Jan. 26, 2018. The center was averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game for the New Orleans Pelicans before suffering the injury. He’s averaged a double-double with at least 22.7 points per game in five straight years.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (25-15) are only 1.5 games behind the Warriors as the West’s No.3 seed. The Clippers (24-16) and Houston Rockets (23-16) are two games behind Golden State in the loss column.

The Los Angeles Lakers (22-19) have dropped to eighth in the West since beating the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Christmas Day. L.A. has gone 2-5 without the injured LeBron James, but the superstar could be back on the court when the Lakers host the Warriors on Jan. 21.

The Toronto Raptors (31-12) are atop the overall NBA Standings. The Milwaukee Bucks (28-11) and Indiana Pacers (27-13) both have better records than Golden State.

The Philadelphia 76ers (27-14) have the same record as the Warriors while being the No.4 seed in the East.