Charlotte Hornets stun the Golden State Warriors with 111-100 win on the road
Dwight Howard came up just short of triple-double as he helped the Charlotte Hornets beat the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors.
The Charlotte Hornets (13-22) were able to defeat the Golden State Warriors (28-8) as they picked up only their third road win of the season. Dwight Howard posted one of his best games of the season as his side took down the defending NBA Champions. Even though the Warriors were without Stephen Curry, it was still one of the best games Charlotte played all season and arguably their biggest win of the year.
Cody Zeller missed his 12th consecutive game with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Julyan Stone and Dwayne Bacon weren’t with the team as they are still on assignment in the G-League with the Greensboro Swarm.
Game Story
This game featured eight lead changes and seven ties. After the two teams were tied at 53 at halftime, the Hornets took control in the second half as they outscored the Warriors, 58-47 in the final two quarters. They even pushed their lead to a game-high 15 points in the fourth period. Charlotte held Golden State to only eight made three’s on 36.4% shooting from beyond the arc. The Hornets took advantage of the Warriors sloppy play as they scored 32 points off of turnovers.
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Player of the Game
Dwight Howard had his best game of the season and almost recorded a triple-double as he finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. He shot 10-15 from the field and a surprising 9-12 from the free throw line. The eight-time all-star set a season-high in points and tied a career-high in assists.
Kemba Walker added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists while Nicolas Batum had 15 points, six assists and four boards. Frank Kaminsky scored 14 points off of the bench as he led the Hornets’ second unit. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12) and Jeremy Lamb (11) rounded out Charlotte’s double-figure scorers.
The Warriors were led by Kevin Durant who ended the game with 27 points. Klay Thompson chipped in with 24 points while Shaun Livingston, who started in place of Steph Curry, put up 12 points. Draymond Green was held to only eight points but he did grab 11 rebounds and dish out 16 assists.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
Dwight Howard is not someone I expected to rip up the Warriors in 2017..
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) December 30, 2017
"Quick Stings"
- Charlotte out-rebounded Golden State, 47-43.
- The Hornets recorded 12 steals and scored 12 fastbreak points.
- Charlotte outscored the Warriors, 46-38, in points in the paint.
- Dwight Howard recorded his 20th double-double of the season.
- No player on the Hornets was – in +/-.
With the win, Charlotte evens up the season series against Golden State at one game apiece. They split the series this year as the two sides will not meet again this season. The Hornets snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Warriors and they defeated the California-based team for the first since the 2013-14 season.
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In their next game, the Hornets will continue on their west coast road trip and take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, December 31st. It will be the team’s last game before 2018 as they look to end 2017 on a high note. Charlotte should have momentum on their side after taking down the defending NBA champions.