Al Jefferson posted another monster night. His 30 points and 13 rebounds stymied the Warriors’ interior defense all game. Gerald Henderson added 17 points and 8 rebounds as the Bobcats beat Golden State in a landslide victory, 91-75.
Kemba Walker returned from a seven game absence due to a sprained ankle. He played 33 minutes.
The Warriors were awful in virtually every aspect tonight. They were held to an abysmal .312 shooting percentage and trailed by 13 after the opening frame.
Stephen Curry and running mate Klay Thompson scored 17 and 12 points, respectively. Curry’s 11 assists were not enough; the Warriors posted their second lowest scoring output since scoring 74 points against the Spurs on November 8th.
The Warriors did not have much to cheer about tonight, but Marreese Speights brought the crowd to their feet when he drilled a half-court shot as the third quarter came to a close.
Curry’s best friend, Anthony Tolliver quickly destroyed all hope when he hit a two 3-pointers to give the Bobcats an 18-point lead with 9:51.
The Bobcats swept the season series against the Warriors. After tonight’s onslaught, it appears that the Warriors have failed to respond to Mark Jackson’s call about playing down to their competition.
Golden State has failed to build any significant momentum again. After winning two straight, they looked lethargic and confused all night. They could not knock down their shots and weren’t able to get many set 3-point attempts.
The Warriors will look to bounce back on Thursday at home against a scrappy Chicago Bulls team.