Not-so-merry Oracle display
Howard leads Hornets past erring Warriors, who produce a rare stinker without Curry
OAKLAND >> At times, the Warriors’ talent and depth create a beautiful display of basketball. At times, the Warriors’ complacency delays their process in painting that picture.
Usually at some point, though, the Warriors finally revert back to good habits, break the game open and then call it a night. That moment never happened, however, in the Warriors’ 111-100 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at Oracle Arena.
“They totally outplayed us,” Warriors coach
Steve Kerr said.
“They came in with great focus and they made us pay.
The Warriors’ ability to absorb Stephen Curry sitting in the last 11 games with a sprained right ankle?
Kevin Durant produced 27 points albeit on 8-of-19 shooting. Klay Thompson stayed steady
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with 24 points on a 10-of20 clip. While struggling with his shot (4 of 11), Warriors forward Draymond Green tied for a careerhigh 16 assists, while adding eight points and 11 rebounds. The Warriors’ season-long problems with turnovers (18) and fouls (24) became too much.
“We get in trouble sometimes,” said Warriors guard Shaun Livingston, who had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. “Coach stays on us about trying to keep it simple. But simple’s boring. That’s really where we get in trouble.”
The Warriors’ normally dominant third-quarter run?
The Warriors (28-8) shot 9 of 24 from the field (37.5 percent) and 2-of-7 from 3-point range (28.6 percent). Meanwhile, the Hornets (13-22) improved to a 3-13 road record with six players cracking double figures.
“We’re not going to do that every third quarter. Tonight we just didn’t bring it,” Kerr said. “We didn’t bring the juice. The key was the first half in not taking advantage of our opportunities.”
The Warriors’ dominant defense that led the NBA in December in various defensive categories?
The Warriors allowed Dwight Howard to appear like an All-Star again (29 points, 12 rebounds), while conceding 46 points in the paint. Whether the Warriors went big (Zaza Pachulia) or small (Jordan Bell), they still fell short. As Durant lamented about Howard, “we doubled him too much.”
Howard finished with spin moves along the baseline, a reverse layup, midrange jumpers and even a bank shot.
“Honestly, it was the first time I saw him hitting his shots outside,” Pachulia said. “I’ve never seen it before.”
Rarely have the Warriors play this poorly. They had gone 9-2 without Curry in the lineup. In a 101-87 win on Dec. 6 in Charlotte, the Warriors forced the Hornets to a 34 of 97 from the field (35.1 percent), limiting their free-throw attempts (17) and held them in transition (seven fastbreak points). And the Warriors entered Friday’s game leading the NBA in December in assists (30.4 per game), defensive fieldgoal percentage (41.4 percent) and blocks (8.7). On Friday, though? “They hit shots. We didn’t,” Livingston said. “We didn’t get the stops. It started with our defense and turnovers. Bad recipe all way around.”
As Durant summed up, “the best thing about this game is we have a game tomorrow.” When the Warriors host Memphis on Saturday at Oracle Arena, the Warriors presumably will leave those issues behind amid Curry’s arrival.
“That gives us all life,” Livingston said. “Him being back brings some excitement and switches things up.”
• Warriors reserve guard Omri Casspi sat out Friday against Charlotte after spraining his right ankle on Wednesday against Utah.