What we learned as Warriors win fourth straight in rout of Hornets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Let the good times roll. The Warriors, after crushing the Charlotte Hornets 128-92 on Tuesday night at Chase Center, now have won four consecutive games for the first time since the third week of the 2024-25 NBA season.
The best news for the Warriors wasn’t even the final score. It was how few minutes their stars had to play ahead of their upcoming five-game road trip.
Steph Curry played just 24 minutes. Draymond Green played 23, and the Warriors needed only 19 from Jimmy Butler. Even in their limited time on the floor, the trio still stuffed the stat sheet.
Curry was a game-high plus-26 with 15 points, four rebounds and six assists. Green, plus-14, also had 15 points, as well as six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Butler, plus-17, scored his fewest points as a Warrior with six, but also gave Golden State eight rebounds, five assists and a steal.
Everybody contributed for the Warriors. The fourth quarter was a Santa Cruz showcase, and Golden State didn’t miss a beat.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors gaining even more momentum.
All In The Family
Whenever Curry has a chance to play his hometown Hornets, he always finds an extra gear. An extra ounce of motivation. Add in the fact that his father, Dell, is a longtime commentator for Charlotte and Curry’s younger brother, Seth, is in his first full season playing for them, a show for the fans was nothing short of a guarantee.
Curry didn’t waste any time, either. With the score tied at 16 points apiece and a little more than three minutes left in the first quarter, Curry hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Warriors a six-point lead. Curry in the first quarter alone had eight points and four assists.
After being held scoreless on one shot attempt in the second quarter, Curry added seven more points in the third quarter on 3-of-6 shooting before his night came to an end well before the final buzzer.
On the other side, Seth scored 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench on 5-of-10 shooting and was 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
The Draymond Green Show
Before Green drops his highly anticipated podcast episode that will feature special guest and former Warriors teammate Kevin Durant on Wednesday, he had some business to take care of on the court. And did he ever.
Green scored the Warriors’ first five points of the game – a long two-pointer and a 3-pointer – and never looked back. He was locked in and all over the floor. Finishing around the rim. Throwing down dunks. Dropping dimes. That side of the ball is secondary for Green, too.
Defensively, Green was a disruptive menace. His box score shows five defensive rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Watching the game shows how his impact went even further than those impressive numbers.
Green’s 15 points were his most since Jan. 2. He now also has recorded multiple steals in back-to-back games, and has two or more steals in eight of his last nine games.
Taking Care Of Business
Not long ago, the Warriors couldn’t look at the schedule and expect a win. Even against the lowest teams in the league. Those feelings now are long gone, and it starts by playing the simplest form of basketball.
Take care of the ball, and take advantage of the opposition’s mistakes. The Warriors have done exactly that during their current four-game win streak.
Entering the night, the Warriors in their previous three games turned the ball over only 33 times, resulting in 29 points for the opposition. Meanwhile, Golden State’s defense had forced 62 turnovers for 88 points. Then in the first half, the Warriors only totaled just five turnovers for five Hornets points, while Charlotte had 12 turnovers for 21 Golden State points.
There still were some silly passes that frustrated coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ coaching staff. No doubt there. But the Warriors will take the final results, which were 12 Warriors turnovers for 19 Hornets points, and 25 Hornets turnovers for 37 Warriors points.
The Warriors also assisted 39 of their 49 made shots. Sometimes the best indicator of success is making the game as simple as possible.
