ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Golden State Warriors donned their black “slate” alternate uniforms as the Charlotte Hornets came into town on the second night of a back-to-back. (Pre-Game Sights & Sounds)
David Lee was still out with a strained left hamstring. For the Hornets, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was out with a stress reaction in his right foot. With Lee out, Draymond Green got the start again for the Warriors.
FIRST QUARTER
The first quarter was a punch-counterpunch duel, with neither team really able to go on a run. Andrew Bogut, matched up at the “5” against Hornets star player Al Jefferson, had his best offensive spurt of the season as he scored 9 points in the first frame to counter Jefferson’s 10.
Bogut got on the board early as Draymond Green wheeled around him for the backdoor, but missed the reverse layup. Bogut was there on the original side of the backboard, though, and easily banked home the putback.
Bogut’s next field goal was a soft shot-put-like toss that rattled in as he followed it, thinking it was off. Perhaps he was caught surprised by the beautiful bounce pass from a right baseline drive by Stephen Curry, who tallied the assist.
The Warriors seven-footer even got a free throw to go, although he missed the other one, after getting slapped on the wrist on a lefty attempt, by Jefferson. Bogut would later hit the next lefty.
Lance Stephenson was the primary counter-puncher for the Hornets, as he scored 9 points on 4-for-5 from the field in the quarter.
Harrison Barnes had a good start, drilling his first trey and also getting a nice bucket on a nifty power-then-finesse fade-away move inside. Marreese Speights didn’t come in til late in the quarter to spell Bogut, but Speights once again provided solid play. “Mo” got a banker to go, attacking aggressively into two Hornets, then drew a charge on Bismack Biyombo.
Andre Iguodala was the first Warrior off the bench, subbing for Barnes as Bogut stayed in, but Iguodala couldn’t get anything to go, although he did not hesitate when shots were open.
The Warriors took a 28-23 lead into the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
The Hornets got a heavy dose of Klay Thompson in the second quarter and the Warriors started scoring in bunches of threes that Charlotte could only answer with twos, and not as frequently.
Stephenson had a beautiful “Statue of Liberty”-like play in which he showed the ball high and scooped it in for a layup. But after Speights drew a charge on Lance with 7:25 to go and the Warriors up only five, 36-31, Klay found his zone.
Thompson got things started after spinning away from aggressive perimeter defense, then taking some huge steps in the paint for the hoop and the harm.
Speights again made his presence felt with a great screen from the same left elbow where the previous play happened, allowing Thompson to stop and pop for a three-pointer. All of a sudden, the Dubs were up by ten, 44-34, with 6:21 to go.
Thompson wasn’t done. The next time down, he got a lefty layup to go, then later Green drove hard, found Klay open in the left corner, and after checking his feet to make sure his shot was worth three, Thompson drilled it.
Soon thereafter, Curry saw Jefferson go down in the paint on defense, and Steph navigated his way into the interior and lofted an uncontested left-handed layup.
After that, the #SplashBrothers connected on the least common of ways, as Curry somehow rebounded a teammate’s shot, surrounded by three Hornets. Thompson exploded to the hoop and Curry rewarded the fantastic cut with a pass to the streaking Klay, who leapt up high for the banker from the right side.
However, the best was yet to come.
Hornets backup guard Gary Neal took Thompson strong to the hole, but Klay waited just that half-second that was needed to avoid the foul and get the blocked shot. On the ensuing fastbreak, Thompson attacked and dished to Green waiting at the three-point line. Green missed, but the ball caromed off to Klay, who immediately found Barnes waiting under the basket for an easy two.
At that point, Thompson was at an impressive 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block clip.
Curry and Barnes added three-pointers to blow the game open, 61-39, with two minutes to play in the half.
Kemba Walker then tried to drive his body into Green, but Draymond retreated and used his body, negating Walker’s aggressive move. Bogut out-muscled Cody Zeller for the board, outletted to Curry, who stopped and popped for a three-pointer in transition.
The Hornets went 0-for-6 in a three-and-a-half-minute stretch and didn’t break that drought until 59 seconds remaining.
The Warriors closed out the half up, 67-46.
Thompson exploded for all 16 of his points in that second frame. Curry added 14 points, 7 assists, and the #SplashBrothers combined to go 7-for-9 from downtown. Barnes was 5-for-8 from the field and 2-for-3 from downtown for 12 points. Jefferson and Stephenson had 11 each for Charlotte.
Klay added another trey before Gerald Henderson closed the half with a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Stay tuned for the second half wrap-up.
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