By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT PhilBoxing.com Thu, 29 Dec 2022
The Warriors almost lost another game but ground out a victory, swatting the visiting Hornets, 110-105.
No Steph Curry (left shoulder), no Andrew Wiggins (adductor strain), but no problem, so it seemed, for the gritty Warriors who did just enough to avoid embarrassing themselves on Tuesday night at Chase Center.
Golden State blew a whopping 18-point lead in the second half, opening the door for the Hornets who tied it, 111-all, late in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors were hot in the first quarter shooting 54.2%, but after making 6-of-10 treys Golden State went cold and missed 17 consecutive 3-pointers from the end of the first to late in the third quarter.
Klay saved the day by draining 5 of Golden State’s 8 tries beyond the arc, including one at the 1:22 mark of the third quarter to push the Warriors ahead, 89-75. As a point of reference, the other Warriors only made 3-of-25 three-pointers.
Thompson was vintage Klay dropping a team-high 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Jordan Poole scored a workmanlike 24, as did Kevon Looney 11, Draymond Green 9, James Wiseman 8, Anthony Lamb 6, Ty Jerome 5, Moses Moody 4, with Jonathan Kuminga rising from the bench with 15 points, 8 of which came late in the last quarter.
Donte DiVincenzo was scoreless going 0-4 in field goals and treys, but was stellar with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, and made a valuable contribution allowing everyone else to shine in a game they should have won with ease.
Golden State sparked a 5-0 run in the second half, surged ahead by 13 points, forced Charlotte into a corner, and led by as much as 18 points.
Charlotte retaliated with their own 17-4 run in the fourth… P. J. Washington drained a trey, making the game more interesting, 96-95. In the waning minutes, Gordon Hayward made a 3-pointer to tie, 111-all.
With 21 seconds left in the game, Jordan Poole sliced a path through Charlotte’s defenders, then dished to Jonathan Kuminga who made a spectacular twin-fisted dunk, pushing the Warriors ahead by 6 points, helping the Warriors win back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 2 and 3.
As a team, Golden State made 41-of-95 baskets (43.2% FG) and an uncharacteristic 8-of-37 treys (21.6% 3-PT). They controlled the phone booth war, outscoring Charlotte in the paint , 56-42, and made fast break points, 15-6. The Warriors shared the ball effectively and had more assists, 31-22.
The opposing team, Charlotte made 38-of-93 baskets (40.9% FG) and a hypoxic 10-of-38 treys (26.3% 3-PT). They scored more points after turnovers, 17-8, showing their scrappiness but to no avail. They briefly led by 3 points.
LaMelo Ball was 7-of-25 shooting, going 2-of-11 beyond the arc, and finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Hornets completed the second game of a back-to-back after losing to Portland, 124-113, last Monday.
Terry Rozier added 19 points and Mason Plumlee grabbed 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who went 2-4 on a six-game West Coast road swing.
Former 2020-21 Warrior, Kelly Oubre Jr., who signed as a free agent with Charlotte in August 2022, missed the game against his former team with a sprained right hand.
“This was a night where we couldn’t put the ball in the basket to save our life. We were getting some good looks, which is one of those nights where the ball wasn’t going in,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr was quoted by NBA.com.
It has been a rocky road for Golden State this season, but the Warriors seemed unperturbed by their recent regular season performance. Perhaps, the reigning and defending NBA champions are saving the best for last- just as they did last season.
Upcoming:
Golden State Warriors (17-18): Host Filipino-American star Jordan Clarkson and the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
Charlotte Hornets (9-26): Host the Thunder on Thursday night to begin a 8-game homestand.
Note of Appreciation:
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