NBA: Klay Thompson scores 29 as Warriors hold off Hornets
Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors drives against P.J. Washington #25 of the Charlotte Hornets during the fourth quarter at Chase Center on December 27, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/AFP
Klay Thompson had a game-high 29 points, Jonathan Kuminga hit three key late hoops and the Golden State Warriors survived a cold shooting night from 3-point range to edge the Charlotte Hornets 110-105 in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
Playing once again without injured stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors improved their league-best home record to 14-2 despite watching an 18-point lead disappear.
Completing an energetic performance on the second night of a back-to-back, Charlotte got consecutive 3-pointers from LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward to draw even at 101-all with 4:19 to play.
After the teams went more than a minute and a half without a point, Kuminga put Golden State ahead for good with the first of his three difference-making baskets, a dunk off a Jordan Poole assist with 2:45 to go.
Klay in the Golden State win tonight:
29 PTS
5 REB
4 AST
5 3PM pic.twitter.com/t0YSzJBknw— NBA (@NBA) December 28, 2022
Kuminga added a short floater off a Draymond Green assist. After Poole scored from the interior and Ball responded by sinking two foul shots, Kuminga threw down another dunk off another Poole dish for a commanding 109-103 advantage with 21.1 seconds remaining.
Thompson did a majority of his scoring on 5-for-12 shooting from long range, but his teammates combined to go just 3-for-25 from beyond the arc.
Poole missed six of his seven 3-point shots but nonetheless backed Thompson with 24 points to go with six assists.
Kuminga finished with 14 points off the bench and Kevon Looney had 11 to complement nine rebounds for the Warriors, who have opened an eight-game homestand with two wins. Green chipped in with nine points, a team-high 11 rebounds and five assists, while Donte contributed nine rebounds and a game-high seven assists on a scoreless night.
Losing for the fourth time as they concluded a six-game trip, the Hornets got 21 points and 10 rebounds from Ball and a game-high 13 rebounds from Mason Plumlee.
Terry Rozier backed Ball with 19 points, while P.J. Washington and Hayward chipped in 14 apiece and Jalen McDaniels had 12.
The Hornets finished 10-for-38 (26.3 percent) from 3-point range, not much better than Golden State’s 8-for-37 (21.6 percent).
