Devonte Graham’s career game from 3-point range pushes Hornets past Warriors
Devonte Graham made a career-high 10 3-pointers as the Charlotte Hornets beat the Golden State Warriors 106-91 Wednesday.
The Hornets won both games with the Warriors for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Charlotte’s backcourt of Graham and Terry Rozier combined for 58 points, 16 assists and 14 rebounds in pushing the Hornets to a 9-14 record.
The injury-ravaged Warriors -- playing without former Davidson star Stephen Curry (broken hand) -- fell to 4-19.
This was the easiest win of the season for the Hornets, who led by a season-best 19 points in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors got 18 points from guard D’Angelo Russell.
Good buzz
Graham’s 33 points were two short of a career high, and he added nine assists and seven rebounds in a season when he is building a serious case for the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
Bee stings
Other than Malik Monk banging a dunk off the rim and back across mid-court -- and that was more amusing than consequential -- this was a pretty clean performance for a team that usually has to gut out games to the last possession this season.
Building blocks
Coach James Borrego found seven first-half minutes for shooting guard Dwayne Bacon, who went from being a starter in the season’s first 10 games to outside the rotation for a while. Bacon made a 3-pointer in the second quarter, his first 3 since a Nov. 18 game in Toronto. Recovering confidence in his shot is major in Bacon finding his way back to steady minutes.
Beyond the numbers
Borrego continues to start Bismack Biyombo at center and bring Cody Zeller off the bench. Borrego likes the defense and energy Biyombo brought when he filled in when Zeller missed two games with a left hip bruise. Zeller said at practice Tuesday he doesn’t mind coming off the bench in this situation and he enjoys playing with veterans Marvin Wiliams and Nic Batum in the second unit.
