Warriors 116, Hornets 99
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Guard Stephen Curry erupted for 40 points in his annual homecoming, scoring the final 24 points of the third quarter, and the Golden State Warriors remained perfect with a 116-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night.
The Warriors (20-0) were in control throughout, racing to a 28-13 lead midway through the first quarter and building the lead to as many as 26 in the second half.
Curry, who grew up in Charlotte and played collegiately at nearby Davidson, finished 14 of 18 from the field and eight of 11 from 3-point range. He had just 12 points at halftime, and then exploded for 28 third-quarter points, including the Warriors' last 24 over the final 4:55 of the period. He hit four 3-pointers in the final 1:53 of the third.
He then sat out the entire fourth quarter with the game well in hand.
The Warriors also got 21 points from guard Klay Thompson, including 15 in the first quarter. They shot 52.3 percent from the field for the game and were 16 of 34 from 3-point range.
The 20-0 start for the Warriors is the longest streak to open a season in NBA history.
The Hornets (10-8) shot just 37.2 percent from the field.
Guard Nicolas Batum led the Hornets with 17 points. Forward Frank Kaminsky scored 16, guard Jeremy Lamb scored 13, and center Spencer Hawes scored 12. But guard Kemba Walker went two of 16 from the field and finished with four points.
NOTES: The Hornets announced before the game that they have signed coach Steve Clifford to a multiyear contract extension. Terms were not disclosed. ... The Hornets honored Dell Curry at halftime for his contributions to the franchise. Curry was an original Hornet in 1988 and is the franchise's career scoring leader. He is currently the Hornets' television analyst. ... The Hornets were without C Al Jefferson (left calf strain) and expect him to miss at least two weeks. ... Warriors F Harrison Barnes (sprained left ankle) missed his third straight game. ... Combined with four wins to close out last season, the Warriors are riding a 24-game regular-season winning streak. The longest winning streak in NBA history is 33 straight by the 1971-72 Lakers. ... The Hornets closed out a seven-game homestand. They won five of the games. ... The Hornets will also have a seven-game homestand in March. ... The Warriors were playing the second game of a seven-game road trip. They opened with a 106-103 win at Utah. They will play at Toronto on Saturday and then will face Brooklyn, Indiana, Boston and Milwaukee later on the trip. ... The Hornets play at Chicago on Saturday.