Warriors vs. Hornets: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2015-16 Regular Season
His father, Dell, was there, honored for being one of the best Charlotte Hornets in history. Cam Newton was there, taking advantage of a rare in-season opportunity to see his friend play. J. Cole was there too because, well, North Carolina and such.
With the world there to see him take on a starring role, Stephen Curry did just that.
Curry scored a game-high 40 points, and Klay Thompson added 21 as the Golden State Warriors moved to 20-0 with a 116-99 win over the Hornets on Wednesday.
GSWStats pointed out the historical significance of this start across all major American professional sports:
The Warriors' 20-game winning streak is the longest to begin a season in NBA history, putting them five clear of the previous record. They have won six of their last seven contests by double figures.
Solid GIF game, here, Warriors:
Curry scored 28 of his 40 points in the second half, all of which came in the third quarter. The outburst happened after he returned to the Golden State bench early to see his father, Dell Curry, who is the Hornets' all-time leading scorer. The 27-year-old knocked down 10 of his 11 shots, including all five from three-point range.
Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer noted the postgame scene:
“Obviously, just being in Charlotte is always fun,” said Curry, who played college basketball at Davidson, per SFGate.com's Rusty Simmons. “I don’t get much time here, being on the West Coast, so I always look forward to the time we play the Hornets.”
ESPN's Darren Rovell commoditized Curry's accomplishments:
It's the sixth 40-point game already for Curry, who leads the NBA in scoring. His 14-of-18 performance was his best of the 2015-16 season, and his eight three-pointers were one short of the nine he hit Nov. 27 against the Phoenix Suns. He has already hit 100 threes this season.
The homecoming saw nearly every Carolina-based celebrity in attendance, including Newton, whose Panthers are the NFL's lone remaining unbeaten.
"It's great to see them doing what they're doing, 11-0 and looking forward to a big playoff run and Super Bowl appearance," Curry said before the game, per David Newton of ESPN.com. "Just to be able to root for them back out in California, it's a lot of fun."
Curry's hot streak came after an otherwise quiet first half, which saw Thompson take the lead role. Thompson scored 18 of his 21 points in the first half, rounding out his performance with three rebounds, a block and a steal.
The Warriors shot 52.3 percent overall and knocked down 16 of their 34 threes. The performance will extend their growing lead over the NBA in three-point efficiency; Golden State entered Wednesday leading the league in makes and percentage.
Draymond Green had an off night from the field (2-of-9) but was active elsewhere, adding 11 rebounds, nine assists and three blocks. While Curry and Thompson were the only Warriors in double figures, six others had at least five points. Seven of the Warriors' eight bench players also scored. Most of that came in a fourth quarter when interim coach Luke Walton was able to sit his starters.
While the NBA ruled Walton's overall record would not be credited for the Warriors' win streak, it was his first game after winning Western Conference Coach of the Month honors for November. Former Los Angeles teammate Kobe Bryant witnessed Walton's burgeoning coaching mind firsthand on last decade's championship Lakers squads, per ESPN.com news services:
"I told him he was the next Phil [Jackson], because he was an average player with a messed-up back. I used to rib him all the time about that, but honestly, he always had a really brilliant mind. He understood flow and tempo and spacing and how to manage a team the right way. So I couldn't be any happier for him. He looks very comfortable in that role. If you're going to have a mentor, Phil's a pretty good one.
"
On the other sideline, it was largely a mess from coach Steve Clifford's starters. They combined for just 33 points, 17 of which came from Nicolas Batum, and none of the five made 50 percent of his shots. Kemba Walker shot 2-of-16 from the field on his way to four points. Marvin Williams was 2-of-9 on his way to six points. Even Batum, whose 17 were a team high, made only six of his 15 attempts.
ESPN's Dan Le Batard juxtaposed the two stars:
Overall, Charlotte shot 37.2 percent from the field and made just nine of its 31 threes. Rookie Frank Kaminsky had a promising 16-point breakout after five straight games in single digits, Jeremy Lamb added 13 points and Spencer Hawes had 12 off the bench.
The Hornets have lost two of their three games after a four-game winning streak, although it's worth noting those losses came against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State.
Given the way the Warriors and Cavs are playing, there's not much to be a ashamed of.
Postgame Reaction
Curry spoke on the game's environment, per the Associated Press, via ESPN: "It was a cool atmosphere to play in, especially on top of my dad's ceremony. It was nice to be out there at halftime and hear his speech and stand with my mom, my sister, my aunts and my grandma. It was a good night. I can't ask for more. To play like I did and get the win was special."
He continued by expanding on the 20-0 start: "It doesn't even sound right. In the NBA, with so many good players and good teams, to be able to put on a run like this is special. We don't always play our best but we find ways to win. That's the strength of our team. Every night a different guy might step up and have a huge game and do the little things that don't show up in the stat sheet."
Walton commented on Curry's shot selection: "When he's feeling it and shoots the ball, he's already running to the other end of the court. He knows the ball's going in before the rest of us. He's doing an amazing job of picking his spots. He's in his hometown and he's the best player in the league and he wants to put on a show."
Batum also complimented Curry: "Nobody has had an answer for him for two years now. You try to make him work hard, but I don't think we've seen anybody shoot like him—that's pretty impressive. You have to make him work hard and hope he misses and have a bad day."
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