The Golden State Warriors flexed their defensive muscles in the second half against the Charlotte Hornets en route to a 114-92 win at the Chase Center. Despite an underwhelming performance from the usually-dominant Steph Curry, the Warriors got production from other parts of their roster to stave off a 32-point night from Miles Bridges.
The Warriors are now 6-1 on the season thanks to inspired performances from guards Jordan Poole and Gary Payton II. Each guard essentially took over a quarter during the game, propelling the Warriors to victory. Payton led the Golden State defense in the second half, stifling LaMelo Ball for multiple possessions. Golden State held the Hornets without a field goal for nine minutes at one point in the third quarter, according to the ESPN broadcast.
Career-high night in splashes & steals @googlecloud || Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/PfiT844iDW
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 4, 2021
Not only did they defend, but the Warriors also hit their shots for the most part. They were 48.8% from the floor and 40% from three-point range Wednesday. They held the Hornets to just 27.8% from deep and allowed just nine bench points on the night.
They also moved the ball well, surpassing that 30 assist benchmark once again. They did struggle with turnovers early in the game but cleaned it up as the game moved on.
The 22-point win is their largest of the young season so far, narrowly edging out Saturday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here are some player grades from the win.