Warriors 111, Hornets 101
OAKLAND, Calif. - Klay Thompson poured in two key hoops to ignite a third-quarter pull-away Monday night, helping the Golden State Warriors outlast the Charlotte Hornets 111-101.
Power forward Draymond Green, the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week, recorded his seventh triple-double of the season with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists as Golden State (32-2) ran its home winning streak to 35, including 17 this season.
Seeking to avoid getting swept in the two-game season series for the second year in a row, the Hornets (17-17) clung within 66-65 in the fourth minute of the third quarter after an 11-4 run to open the second half.
But Thompson countered immediately with 16- and 28-footers, the latter a 3-pointer, to trigger an 18-4 burst that put the Warriors in command for good.
Thompson finished with 30 points, a majority of which came on 6-for-11 shooting from 3-point range.
The game turned into a bit of a long-distance shooting contest between the teams with the second- and third-most 3-point attempts this season, and the Warriors rarely lose those.
Consistent with their league-leading 42.1 season percentage on 3's, the Warriors bombed in 15 of their 34 from beyond the arc, outscoring Charlotte 45-21 on 3's in the process.
The Hornets, meanwhile, only the 18th most accurate in the league when it comes to shooting 3's (34.6 percent), misfired on 14 of 21.
Point guard Stephen Curry, playing 31 minutes after having cut his previous effort short due to recurring pain in his left calf, contributed 30 points to the win, which was the Warriors' third in a row since the 2014-15 NBA Most Valuable Player sat out a loss at Dallas last Wednesday.
Backup center Marreese Speights recorded a season-high with 15 points and small forward Harrison Barnes, playing for the first time since suffering an ankle injury on Nov. 27, put up eight points in 18 minutes, helping Golden State remain one of two teams (along with San Antonio) unbeaten at home this season.
Point guard Kemba Walker and backup guard Jeremy Lamb had 22 points apiece for the Hornets, who were playing without starting center Al Jefferson (knee) and shooting guard Nicolas Batum (toe).
Center Cody Zeller grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to go with eight points as Charlotte lost a fourth in a row, this one in the opener of a four-game Western swing.
The Warriors held the upper hand through most of the first half after a 12-2 flurry that broke a 20-20 tie late in the first quarter.
Thompson and Speights had six points apiece in the run, Thompson hitting a pair of 3-pointers, while Speights took the more conventional three-hoop route to his half-dozen.
Thompson had 18 of his 30 points in the first half, helping Golden State take a 62-54 lead into the intermission.
The Hornets mounted their biggest threat early in the third quarter, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from shooting guard Jeremy Lin and small forward PJ Hairston in an 11-4 run that closed an eight-point halftime deficit to 66-65.
But Thompson counted with his consecutive hoops to push the lead quickly back to six, and Golden State was never seriously challenged again even though the Hornets did get within single digits in the final seconds.
NOTES: Warriors PF Draymond Green was honored as Western Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday. Green nearly averaged a triple-double (18.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 2.5 steals) in Golden State's 3-1 week. ... A Warrior has earned Western Conference honors four times in the season's first seven weeks. ... For the second game in a row, the Warriors' decision to play PG Stephen Curry (calf) came after his pregame warmup. ... Warriors interim coach Luke Walton said the team would take the same approach to Tuesday's road game against the Los Angeles Lakers. ... Likewise, Walton said SF Harrison Barnes (ankle) would have not have any restrictions on minutes in his return. But at the same time, there's no guarantee he will play in the second half of the back-to-back Tuesday. ... Hornets coach Steve Clifford said before the game that SG Nicolas Batum (toe), who missed his second consecutive game Monday, also was unlikely to face Phoenix in the second game of Charlotte's four-game Western swing Wednesday.