Poole makes splash, helps Golden State beat Hornets
SAN FRANCISCO — Jordan Poole took the pressure off Stephen Curry with a season-best 31 points, and the Golden State Warriors used one of their big third quarters of old to pull away and beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-92 on Wednesday.
Poole shot 11-for-21 while hitting a career-high seven 3-pointers, while Curry shook off a slow start to add 15 points on 6-for-15 shooting — 3 of 11 on 3s — nine assists and eight rebounds.
Miles Bridges scored 21 of his 32 points in the first half and totaled five 3-pointers, and Gordon Hayward had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets.
Curry began 1-for-6 and missed his initial four 3-pointers before hitting from deep 53 seconds before halftime, when Golden State (6-1) led 53-52 and he had just five points.
Poole scored 22 points in the initial two quarters, shooting 8-for-11, including 6-for-9 on 3s. There were seven lead changes and seven ties in the first half.
Lamelo Ball had 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds but shot just 5-for14 and missed all six tries from deep as Charlotte began a five-game West Coast swing.
Gary Payton II scored 14 points off the Golden State bench and drew a rousing ovation when he left the game late, and fellow reserve Damion Lee had 15 points after he missed Saturday’s win against Oklahoma City with a right shoulder contusion. Lee has scored in double figures every game this season.
■ Cavaliers 107, Trail Blazers 104: At Cleveland, Jarrett Allen had 24 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland, which didn’t trail in the second half. Damian Lillard scored 26 points for Portland but missed a 3-pointer with two seconds left.
■ Grizzlies 108, Nuggets 106: At Memphis, Tenn., Jaren Jackson Jr. had 22
points, eight rebounds and three blocks for Memphis, which went ahead to stay with 1:19 left. Nikola Jokic had 34 points and 11 rebounds for Denver.
■ 76ers 103, Bulls 98: At Philadelphia, Joel Embiid had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Philadelphia in its fourth straight win. Demar Derozan scored 37 points for Chicago, which trailed by 15 in the second half.
■ Mavericks 109, Spurs 108: At San Antonio, Jalen Brunson hit a step-back jumper and two free throws in the final 30 seconds and totaled 31 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas, which held a 64-47 edge in rebounds.
■ Clippers 126, Timberwolves 115: At Minneapolis, Paul George had 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting and eight assists for Los Angeles, which shot 60.3 percent while making a season-high 21 3-pointers on 36 tries.
■ Kings 112, Pelicans 99: At Sacramento, Calif., Tyrese Haliburton scored seven of his 20 points during a
14-0 fourth-quarter run by Sacramento, which dealt New Orleans (1-8) its fifth loss in a row.
■ Pacers 111, Knicks 98: At Indianapolis, Myles Turner scored the first eight points and totaled 25 while shooting 7-for-10 on 3-pointers, and he added 13 rebounds for Indiana, which never trailed.
■ Celtics 92, Magic 79: At Orlando, Fla., Jaylen Brown scored 28 points for Boston, which opened the second half with an 18-1 run and halted a three-game skid. Orlando (2-7) is 0-3 at home.
■ Nets 117, Hawks 108: At New York, Kevin Durant scored 13 points in a 20-4 run to end the third quarter that put Brooklyn up by 16 and totaled 32 points in the Nets’ third straight win.
■ Raptors 109, Wizards 100: At Washington, Fred Vanvleet scored 33 points on 13-for-22 shooting for Toronto, which didn’t trail over the final 34 minutes in its fifth straight win.