Warriors 104, Bobcats 96
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Stephen Curry scored 27 points in his homecoming, and David Lee added 25 points and 11 rebounds as the surging Golden State Warriors held on for a 104-96 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night.
The Warriors pounced on the Bobcats quickly, jumping out to a 38-23 lead after one quarter and pushing the lead to 58-40 at halftime. They led by as many as 21 and kept the advantage in double figures until the final two minutes, when a late Charlotte rally came up short.
The win was Warriors' fourth straight and the seventh in their last eight games. It also made Golden State (14-7) a perfect 4-0 on a seven-game, 11-day Eastern road trip.
The reeling Bobcats (7-13) suffered their eighth straight loss. They endured another frustrating start after their 132-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
Lee went 10-for-14 from the field, and Curry finished 10-for-22 from the floor, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Curry has scored 20 or more points in eight consecutive games, and Lee has exceeded 20 in five straight games.
The Warriors also got 16 points from Carl Landry, 12 from Jarrett Jack and 10 from Klay Thompson. Curry added seven rebounds and seven assists.
Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 24 points, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 17, Ben Gordon 14, Byron Mullens 13 and Ramon Sessions 12.
The Warriors were in control from the start. They hit 10 of their first 12 shots and went on to shoot 72.7 percent from the field in the first quarter (16-for-21). The 38 first-quarter points represented Golden State's season best.
Lee had 13 points in the first quarter, and hw went on to score 17 in the first half. Curry scored 15 third-quarter points.
The Warriors led 93-74 after three quarters.
Notes: Curry, who grew up in Charlotte and played at nearby Davidson, needed 73 tickets for friends and family. His father, Dell, the Bobcats' television analyst, got the job of sorting it all out before the game. ... The Warriors were playing the fourth game of a seven-game, 11-day Eastern road trip. The trip will continue at Miami on Wednesday night, then will close out at Orlando on Friday and at Atlanta on Saturday. ... The Warriors spent their off day Sunday at Bank of America Stadium watching the Carolina Panthers beat the Atlanta Falcons. Curry counts Panthers running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams among his friends. ... The Warriors were 7-4 on the road coming into Monday's game and had won all three previous games on the trip, at Detroit, Brooklyn and Washington. ... Golden State topped the Wizards 101-97 Saturday, when Lee had 24 points and 17 rebounds. ... Curry led the Warriors in scoring coming into the game at 19.7 points per game, which ranked him ninth in the NBA. ... The Warriors continue to be without Andrew Bogut (left ankle), Richard Jefferson (strained right calf) and Brandon Rush (torn left ACL and MCL). ... Jeff Adrien was in uniform for the first time after signing with the Bobcats on Sunday. The Bobcats waived Cory Higgins to make room for Adrien, a 6-foot-7 forward. ... The Bobcats were playing the second game of a three-game homestand, part of a stretch of six home games over seven games. They'll close out the homestand Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. ... Walker led the Bobcats in scoring at 17.4 ppg entering the game and was fourth in the NBA in steals at 2.05 per game. ... The Bobcats continue to be without Tyrus Thomas (left calf strain).
