OAKLAND, Calif. -- Stephen Curry bombed in six 3-pointers in the first
quarter Wednesday night, paving the way to a 39-point performance that
propelled the Golden State
Warriors to a 126-111 thumping of
the Charlotte Hornets.
Curry (11-for-15) and Klay Thompson (6-for-10) combined for 17
3-pointers as the Warriors set franchise records for threes in a quarter (nine)
and a half (15) en route to a season-best 21.
Thompson finished with 29 points and tied a career-high with
eight assists, and Kevin Durant added 18 points, helping the Warriors
(42-7) record a sixth straight win over the Hornets and an eighth in a row at
home against Eastern Conference competition this season.
The rematch of a tight Golden State win at Charlotte last
Wednesday was never close, with Curry hitting 27- and 26-footers in the first
98 seconds to give the Warriors a lead they never relinquished.
Curry scored 18 first-quarter points, all on 3-pointers, and
Thompson chipped in 11 as Golden State built a 31-11 lead en route to a 41-21
advantage at period's end.
The Warriors made nine 3-pointers and just six 2-pointers in the
quarter.
Thompson hit three more threes and Curry a pair in the second
period, during which the Warriors went up by as many as 24 points before
settling into a 77-56 halftime advantage.
Golden State was 15-for-29 on 3-pointers in the half.
By game's end, Draymond
Green had a pair of threes and
two teammates had one apiece as Golden State got within three of the NBA record
of 24.
The Warriors' biggest lead of the game was 32 points.
Green lead all rebounders with 10.
Backup big man Frank Kaminsky recorded a career-best 24 points
for the Hornets (23-27), who lost their sixth straight.
Marco Belinelli had
16 points, Marvin Williams 14 and Nicolas Batum 13 for Charlotte,
which lost for the second time on a three-game Western swing that concludes
Saturday night at Utah.
The Hornets played without center Cody Zeller, out with a deep
quadriceps bruise. Charlotte has gone 1-11 in his absence this season.
The Hornets countered the Warriors' 21 3-pointers with just nine
of their own on 30 attempts.
All-Star guard Kemba
Walker didn't have any of
Charlotte's nine 3-pointers, snapping a streak of at least one in 27 straight
games. He finished with a season-low seven points, failing to reach double
figures for the first time this season.
NOTES: The Hornets' record for consecutive games with a
3-pointer is 46, held by former Warriors PG Baron
Davis. ... The NBA announced that the Warriors' Steve Kerr was selected Western Conference Coach
of the Month for January, during which Golden State had a plus-14.1 point
differential in 14 games. Kerr also earned the honor for October/November. ...
The Warriors' 12-2 mark in January gave them their 24th consecutive winning
month, the longest active streak in the NBA. ... The Warriors played without C
Zaza Pachulia (strained right rotator cuff) and backup PG Shaun Livingston (sore back). Pachulia is expected to
miss at least one week.
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