Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) drives past Charlotte Hornets' Spencer Hawes (00) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Durant scored 16 points in the 4th to help the Warriors overcome the Hornets.
By Cole Reece| January 25th
The Warriors regained some early confidence from beyond the arc in the 1st quarter. Steph was putting on a show by dropping 13 points in front of his home crowd. Charlotte used 2nd chance point to remain close to the Dubs. Golden State was outscored 7-0 in 2nd opportunity points in the opening frame. The Warriors shot 50% in the 1st quarter while holding the Hornets to a 38% mark. In the 2nd quarter, it was the reserves that increased the Dubs lead. While the scoring was not plentiful, Golden State shut down Charlotte. Durant dominated the closing minutes of the 2nd quarter as the Warriors took a (53-47) lead into halftime. KD led the Dubs with 15 points and true to form he scored from anywhere he wanted to. Kemba Walker used his shiftiness to drop 9 points for the Hornets in the 1st half. Charlotte absolutely owned the 3rd quarter. Kemba Walker, Batum, and Gilchrist dominated the Warriors. The Hornets found themselves up (80-75) headed into the final frame. Golden State simply could not buy a basket for the majority of the 3rd quarter. Steph regained his shot and scored 7 points in the 3rd. Charlotte continued to lead with 6:33 left in the game (94-91). Kevin Durant put the Warriors on his shoulders and guided them to a victory. He began the comeback at the free throw line, drawing fouls on seemingly every possession. Durant scored 16 of his 33 points in the 4th. Golden State also tightened down defensively, and their poise and timely steals were a big reason they won tonight. Curry scored 28 points in his return to North Carolina. Kemba Walker finished with 26 points as the Hornets offense faltered in the 4th quarter. Warriors win 113-103. Up next on the schedule the Dubs take on the shorthanded Clippers Saturday at 5:30 pm.