Golden State Warriors Rout Charlotte Hornets 112-87

It was an ugly night for the Charlotte Hornets, as they fell 112-87 to the Golden State Warriors on the second game of a back-to-back. Wrapping up the fourth game of a West Coast road trip, the Hornets hung with the Warriors for a quarter and a half before Golden State opened up a 21 point lead at halftime, in large part thanks to seven first half 3-pointers.

Early in the third quarter it was clear Charlotte was not going to mount a comeback. The team look tired, and their execution on offense just wasn't sharp, committing 14 turnovers and registering just 12 assists.

Injuries played a factor as well. Marvin Williams played briefly in the second half before subbing out, and wouldn't see the floor again. Gary Neal banged his head hard on the floor in the first half, suffering a concussion. An injury like that will likely make him a doubt for Monday's game against Dallas.

The leading scorers for Charlotte were Al Jefferson, with 18 points on 8-14 shooting, Lance Stephenson with 16 points, on 7-10 (2-2 from behind the arc!), and Brian Roberts with 17 points (but most of that came in garbage time). Jefferson and Stephenson were really connecting in the first quarter. Stephenson scored early, causing Golden State to pay closer attention to him, which opened up scoring opportunities for Jefferson in the pick-and-roll. Jefferson's jump shot was effective tonight, and he had 11 points in the first quarter alone.

The defense just wasn't good enough however, and the Warriors capitalized on slow defensive rotations and quick ball movement. The Hornets also played into the Warriors fast pace, settling for early shot attempts, leading the Warriors into easy shots in transition. Charlotte would have been better served slowing things down and working more in the halfcourt.

Even so, it was a long shot to win tonight. This four game road trip has been rough on the team, with two blown games and a win against Phoenix that took a great effort to pull out. Ending this trip on the second night of a back-to-back against a team like Golden State is far from ideal.

Those who stayed up did get to see Noah Vonleh's debut however. Vonleh didn't score, but stayed active on defense and managed get a steal that led to a Pargo fast break layup. However, gaining strength is a must for him, as he more than once struggled to establish position in the post on offense.

The Hornets will return home for a one game home stand, but will face off against the Dallas Mavericks, who have been cruising of late, beating the 76ers by 53 and putting up 131 on the Timberwolves in their win tonight.

Notes:

• Zeller struggled to score tonight (just 1-5 from the field), but did manage 10 rebounds.
• Biyombo didn't register a double-double, but his effort was there once again. If he continues to bring the energy in every game, he'll make an impact for that second unit.