The Golden State Warriors defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-97 on Friday night, improving to 39-34 on the season. With the Rockets hot on their tail for the 10th seed in the Western Conference, and the final spot in the play-in tournament, the Warriors guaranteed they will maintain at least a one-game lead heading into the weekend.
The Warriors were missing both Jonathan Kuminga and Klay Thompson, the second and third most prolific scorers on the team this season. Luckily for the Dubs, other members of the rotation stepped up to fill the void.
The Hornets briefly led early in the game, but the Warriors took control of the lead a few minutes in and never looked back. Golden State did nearly lose a double-digit lead over the course of the second quarter, leading just 50-45 at the half, but they started the third quarter strong and never looked back.
Despite Thompson’s absence, head coach Steve Kerr stuck with removing rookie guard Brandin Podziemski from the starting lineup. Chris Paul was inserted in his place and had an excellent game. In nearly 33 minutes, Paul recorded 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists on 5-for-6 shooting from the field.
Steph Curry scored a game-high 23 points, but the Dubs offense had plenty of secondary contributors step up. Andrew Wiggins had another productive performance, scoring 20 points with 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 18 points and 8 rebounds on 9-for-13 shooting. Draymond Green had 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Off the bench, Moses Moody was scorching hot from deep, making four of his five three-point attempts in route to 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in 23 minutes.
The Warriors road trip will continue over the weekend, with them heading to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Sunday. Opening tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 PM.
