Durant leads Warriors to victory over Hornets
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kevin Durant scored 33 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Charlotte Hornets 113-103 on Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center.
Durant took charge after the Warriors trailed by 10 midway through the third quarter and were still down five going into the fourth.
He gave the Warriors the lead for good at 95-94 on two free throws with 5:25 remaining, and the Warriors wound up outscoring the Hornets 22-9 over the last six minutes.
Stephen Curry was also outstanding in his annual homecoming game, finishing with 28 points. He hit two 3-pointers in the final four minutes, and his 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining pushed the lead to 12 and was the final dagger.
The Warriors (39-7) won eight of their last nine, 12 of their last 14, and are 19-3 over their last 22 games.
The Warriors also got 19 points from Klay Thompson and 13 from Draymond Green.
The Hornets (23-23) lost two straight and seven of their last 10.
Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 26 points. Nicolas Batum scored 16, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 15, and Marvin Williams and Marco Belinelli scored 14 each. Spencer Hawes had 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
The Warriors led 29-28 after one quarter and 53-47 at halftime. The Hornets outscored the Warriors 26-10 over the first seven minutes of the third quarter to lead 73-63, and went on to lead 80-75 after three quarters.
But the Warriors dominated the fourth quarter, erupting for 38 points.
NOTES: The Warriors were without F David West (fractured thumb). The Hornets were without C Cody Zeller (quad contusion) and G Jeremy Lamb (metatarsal inflammation). ... The Warriors played the final game of a four-game Eastern road trip. They were coming off a 105-102 loss at Miami on Monday that snapped a seven-game winning streak. ... The Hornets were closing out a five-game homestand. They lost to Washington 109-99 on Monday. ... With the Warriors off Tuesday, G Stephen Curry was able to visit his two alma maters, Charlotte Christian High School and Davidson College. ... Hornets F Frank Kaminsky will play in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend. ... The teams will meet again in Oakland on Feb. 1. ... The Hornets hit the road for a game at New York on Friday. The Warriors return home to face the Clippers on Saturday.