This is a continuation of the halftime recap of the Golden State Warriors at the Charlotte Hornets.
3rd Quarter – The Chef Makes A Late Appearance But Cooks Up A Storm
After a stirring intermission in which Stephen Curry’s father, Dell Curry, a long-time Hornet, got honored by the franchise, the Warriors did well to keep their separation at double-digits.
Klay Thompson hit a three and Curry continued to do damage at the rim with drives past Kemba Walker, one uncontested as he turned the corner and Cody Zeller watched him waltz by without help, and the other with Walker draped all over him, with the ball trickling in at the last moment.
But on the next attack, Curry got called for a 50/50 foul, allegedly charging into Walker at the rim, Draymond Green corralled a defensive rebound and dribbled the ball out of bounds just ahead of the Warriors’ bench, and Jeremy Lamb took advantage with a pull-up three to make it 72-60, Golden State, with 6:37 to go.
Green then went down the lane but lost the ball, it bounding off the board for a 4-on-1 fastbreak that Lamb ended with a lay-in soaring past the lone defender, Thompson.
After Nic Batum blocked a layup attempt by Klay, Cody Zeller got a two-hand smash in transition and the Hornets had trimmed their deficit to 72-64 with 5:12 left, as Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton finally called timeout.
Curry answered the hero’s call as he got a layup assisted by Andre Iguodala and a three after Andrew Bogut got an offensive rebound from Green’s missed trey and found Steph on the left side, wide open:
? @BenGolliver: "You gotta make him prove he can hit it" #LetsGoWarriorsLive pic.twitter.com/TIeVkdUIDE
— LetsGoWarriors (@LetsGoWarriors) December 3, 2015
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Curry added his 25th and 26th points as Lamb got the ball poked away by Iguodala and Green delivered the touchdown pass.
Hornets head coach Steve Clifford called timeout and the Warriors were back up, 79-66, with 2:07 remaining in the third.
But that didn’t stop “The Chef”.
Curry would collect 14 consecutive Warriors points on a three from the right wing, another three from the hashmark…
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…a drive down the right side — and not only high off the backboard, but also off the wrong foot, no less — as Walker had to close out extra far…
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…and two more threes after that, the first delivered by Shaun Livingston:
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…the last of which occurred with 3.1 seconds to go:
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That gave Curry 40 points heading into the fourth, with Golden State taking a 91-72 lead.
4th Quarter – Bench Does Enough To Close The Door
Marreese Speights and Festus Ezeli kept the Warriors’ momentum going as Speights made a jumper on the first possession and Ezeli got an “and-one” against Frank Kaminsky down low.
Andre Iguodala traded threes with Jeremy Lin and Kaminsky, but the Hornets went on a 7-0 run.
Still, Ezeli made two free throws after drawing another foul on Kaminsky and the Warriors held a 107-86 lead before Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford took a timeout with 5:57 to go.
Brandon Rush got in the action with a three that trickled in with the shooter’s touch, assisted by Shaun Livingston, but Troy Daniels answered with five straight points.
Walton took a timeout with 3:26 to play and Golden State still up comfortably, 110-95.
Marreese Speights and Festus Ezeli kept the Warriors’ momentum going as Speights made a jumper on the first possession and Ezeli got an “and-one” against Frank Kaminsky down low.
Andre Iguodala traded threes with Jeremy Lin and Kaminsky, but the Hornets went on a 7-0 run.
Still, Ezeli made two free throws after drawing another foul on Kaminsky and the Warriors held a 107-86 lead before Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford took a timeout with 5:57 to go.
Brandon Rush got in the action with a three that trickled in with the shooter’s touch, assisted by Shaun Livingston, but Troy Daniels answered with five straight points.
Walton took a timeout with 3:26 to play and Golden State still up comfortably, 110-95.
That’s as close as Charlotte got, as Livingston, Ian Clark, Rush, Jason Thompson and James McAdoo closed out the game.
The Warriors (20-0)
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via NBAE/Getty)
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