Warriors end skid with win over host Hornets

NEW ORLEANS -- Jarrett Jack walked into New Orleans Arena on Saturday night with James Brown in his ear and memories from a place he once called home.

He departed after having played a major role in helping defeat his former team and earning some payback, as prescribed by Brown. Jack scored seven of Golden State's final nine points in a 116-112 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, snapping the Warriors' three-game losing streak.

Jack, a former disciple of Hornets coach Monty Williams while both were in Portland and a former Hornet who was traded in July, said his pre-game musical selection included Brown's "The Big Payback."

"That was kind of weird," said Jack, who scored 25 points and dished out 12 assists.

"People tend to say you play with a chip on your shoulder when you play against your old team," he added. "But I play with a chip on my shoulder all of the time. I feel like every night I have to go out and prove myself, whether it's against the Hornets, Lakers or the Bobcats."

Klay Thompson scored a game-high 29 points and Stephen Curry, returning after a two-game absence because of an ankle injury, added 20 points, seven assists, four steals and three points for the Warriors.

Festus Ezeli had a career-high 13 points and Carl Landry, also a former Hornet, and Richard Jefferson each scored 11 for Golden State, which improved to 7-3 in the back half of consecutive games.

"(Jarrett) is just such a gritty, gritty player," Jefferson said. "He wants to win. I think that he also recognizes that this is a great opportunity for him, not only as an individual, but this is one of the better teams that he has had the pleasure of being on."

Eric Gordon scored 23 points and Anthony Davis recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who had won two in a row and six of seven.

It was the sixth double-double for the rookie forward, who also had four blocks, four assists and one steal. But he was one of several Hornets who struggled from the free-throw line, making 2 of 7 attempts.

The Hornets were 13 of 23 from the line.

"I should not be missing free throws like that, especially when we were getting to the line," Davis said. "I kind of put that on me."

Ryan Anderson scored 19 points, Al-Forouq Aminu had 14 and Roger Mason added 12 for New Orleans.

The Hornets shot a season-high 57 percent from the field, making 45 of 79 attempts. The 45 field goals also were a season high, and New Orleans fell one point shy of tying a season high in points.

But the Hornets also committed 17 turnovers and was outscored 8-3 down the stretch.

"We lost our identity tonight," Williams said. "We gave up 116 points to a team that is undermanned. We didn't knock down a free throw and we turned the ball over 17 times.

"You don't deserve to win."

Jack's two free throws following the steal of a Gordon pass tied the score at 110 with 52 seconds remaining and his floating jumper from inside the lane with 31 seconds left gave the Warriors a 112-110 lead.

After the Hornets' Jason Smith committed an offensive foul, Jack made 1 of 2 free throws with 22 seconds remaining to give Golden State a 113-110 lead. He added a pair of free throws with 15.7 seconds remaining.

"I thought (Gordon) was going to shoot it actually," Jack said. "Right when I was stunting, the ball was headed toward me. I was in the right place at the right time."

Thompson was 10 of 13 in the first half, including 4 of 4 in staking the Warriors to a 67-57 halftime lead. The total was a season high for first-half points for Golden State.

But the Hornets quieted the Warriors' perimeter offense with an aggressive defense and outscored Golden State 32-18 in the third quarter to take an 89-85 lead.

"This was different but our identify remains," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "We defended and battled and we made mistakes but we didn't quit. It was a big-time victory."

NOTES: The Hornets played the first of a two-game homestand but because of the Super Bowl being played Feb. 3 in the adjacent Mercedes-Benz Superdome will spend much of early February on the road. ... After hosting Sacramento in a Monday matinee, the Hornets will play nine of their next 11 games on the road beginning at San Antonio on Wednesday. ... The Warriors' David Lee did not play after spraining his left ankle in a 95-88 loss at San Antonio on Friday night. ... Golden State (24-15) has now surpassed last season's win total of 23.