Warriors drain 24 3-pointers, hold off pesky Hornets

Stephen Curry celebrated a homecoming with a team-high 26 points, nine teammates added to a 3-point shooting barrage and the Golden State Warriors held off the host Charlotte Hornets 132-125 on Wednesday afternoon.

Playing for the 13th time in the state in which he starred both in high school and in college, Curry drilled five of his 10 3-point shots on a day when the Warriors went a sizzling 24 of 49 from beyond the arc.

Brandin Podziemski and Jimmy Butler III added 19 points apiece for Golden State, which completed a 2-1 trip after losing the opener in Toronto.

Brandon Miller went for a season-best 33 points for the Hornets, who completed a winless two-game homestand that began with a loss to Milwaukee on Monday.

After Charlotte had erased a 15-point, third-quarter deficit to take a 100-98 lead into the final period, Podziemski hit three 3-pointers in a 13-4 surge that gave the Warriors the lead for good.

The Hornets closed within 126-122 on a LaMelo Ball follow shot with 1:11 to go, and the hosts then harassed Curry into a missed shot from deep. But Draymond Green snuck behind the Charlotte defense for a key tip-in, giving the visitors breathing room with 53.2 seconds left.

Curry and Butler added two free throws apiece to secure Golden State’s eighth win in a league-high 20 road outings this season.

Podziemski finished 5 of 7 on 3-pointers while Quinten Post and Gui Santos dropped in three apiece for the Warriors, who got long-range successes from four starters and six reserves.

Led by Podziemski’s 19 points and Santos’ 13, the Golden State backups outscored their Charlotte counterparts 61-29.

Green completed a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 assists while also finding time for eight rebounds, while Butler had seven assists to go with his 19 points.

Miller’s 33 points came on 14-for-29 shooting, but just 3 of 12 from deep. The Hornets were outscored 72-48 from beyond the arc, making 16 of 40.

Ball had 27 points, Kon Knueppel 20 and Collin Sexton 16 for Charlotte, which has alternated two-game losing and winning streaks over its last 10 contests. Sexton and Knueppel shared team-high assist honors with eight, while Moussa Diabate matched Green with a game-high-tying eight rebounds.