ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — This is a continuation of the halftime recap of the Charlotte Hornets at the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors took a 62-54 lead into the third quarter.
3rd Quarter – Klay Spreads Some Kerosene
Klay Thompson started the third period with a nice reverse layup on a blow-by of P.J. Hairston down the left side, but Stephen Curry picked up his third personal and Hairston got a late-shotclock triple to fall, allowing the Hornets closed to within 66-62.
Curry missed a pull-up and Jeremy Lin hit a pull-up three-pointer and the Golden State lead was cut to just one, 66-65, with 8:55 to play.
But Thompson acted like he wouldn’t have it, making a jumper on the catch from Andrew Bogut, then, after Kemba Walker missed a jumper, made a catch-and-shoot triple from the left wing., on Draymond Green ninth assist.
Hairston and Klay traded missed jumpers, then Walker got a pass deflected by Curry, who led the break, and dumped it off to Green for a two-handed contested slam dunk:
Defense to offense on @CSNAuthentic. pic.twitter.com/iZ8tCmVRVC
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) January 5, 2016
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Hornets head coach Steve Clifford called timeout with 7:28 to go and the Warriors taking a 73-65 lead, but it would not stem the tide.
Curry scored the next eight points for the Dubs, first on a trey via on-ball pick from Bogut, getting past Walker for a scoop high off the backboard, and a behind-the-back crossover three-point pull past Walker and in front of Marvin Williams:
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Steph then deflected Cody Zeller’s pass and led the break, feeding his fourth assist of the night to a wide-open Brandon Rush on the left arc.
Just like that, aided by a string of 2-for-9 shooting, the only two makes from Walker, by the Hornets, the Warriors raced out to an 84-69 lead with 4:47 remaining in the third, as Clifford called another timeout.
If there was a blemish in Golden State’s play, it was Curry committing his fourth personal foul as Jeremy Lamb drove down the left side and drew contact on an up-fake.
But Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton kept Curry in the game, as he had inserted Marreese Speights just prior to that to go small.
This version of “small ball” didn’t capitalize on much aside from this nice finger roll by Green…
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…and Walton checked out Steph shortly thereafter and brought in Ian Clark.
Thompson and Speights remained hot, as they scored Golden State’s final nine points and the Warriors took a commanding 99-77 lead into the final frame.
4th Quarter – DrayMagic
After Rush, Harrison Barnes, and Speights continued to feel their rhythm, the Warriors’ bench unit went on a near-ten-minute drought, but the Hornets were only able to make up eight points on the scoreboard.
Thompson only took two shots, the second a missed three from the right wing that had #Roaracle in high anticipation, as a make would have given Green a triple-double, but after Frank Kaminsky missed a jump hook, Curry ended the drought with by getting a pass up top from Green and drilling the straight-away three, to the delight of #DubNation, which gave Draymond a standing ovation:
That's 3 straight triple-doubles for @Money23Green!!! #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/FUOAwftW8K
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) January 5, 2016
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Lamb pulled up for a jumper, but Curry went down the right side of the lane and delivered a beautiful scoop high off the backboard.
Clifford called timeout and fans gave a “Draymond!” chant. The Warriors held a 106-89 lead with 4:53 to go.
Walker made a jumper and Jeremy Lin converted a drive, while Curry missed two layups, the second of which he caromed off Cody Zeller, no whistle.
The Hornets hung around and were down 106-97 with 1:52 left as Walton called a timeout.
Out of the timeout, Curry was rewarded by the referee as he shook Walker on the pivot with Bogut running on-ball interference, going with another finger roll as Zeller was called for the contact.
Green stole a pass from Lamb, then after burning some clock, Curry came to play pick-and-roll with Draymond handling, and Green went down the lane for an emphatic dunk.
That proved to be the last bucket of the game as the final minute featured no scoring and even an airball from Curry from beyond the arc, and the Warriors won, 111-101.
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @djizzle36)
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