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Ellis guides Warriors over Bobcats

Jan 1, 2011 - 1:32 AM Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Monta Ellis' layup with 1:20 remaining proved to be the difference, as the Golden State Warriors held off the Charlotte Bobcats, 96-95, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Ellis ended with 25 points and five assists for the Warriors, who have won four of five. Stephen Curry added 24 points for Golden State, which got 17 points and five boards from Dorell Wright.

Stephen Jackson scored 22 points and pulled down six rebounds, but missed a three-pointer as time expired. Gerald Wallace donated 20 points and eight boards for Charlotte, which got 12 points and six assists from D.J. Augustin.

"In the NBA all you can really ask for is a chance," Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson said. "We'll move onto the next game."

Trailing by five, 91-86, with 5:11 to play, the Bobcats made things interesting with a 9-5 flurry. Wallace's two free throws and Augustin's driving layup had Charlotte within one, 91-90, with 3:48 left.

The Warriors responded with five straight points, and Ellis made a layup with 1:20 remaining to make it a 96-90 game. After Jackson made 1-of-2 from the foul line, Wallace pulled down a big offensive rebound. Jackson missed a layup, but Henderson was there for the tip-in and a three-point contest with 43.9 seconds to go.

Henderson blocked Ellis' layup attempt at the other end, which led to Boris Diaw's layup with 14.3 ticks left. Following a timeout, Ellis was called for an offensive foul on the inbound pass. Jackson's shot from beyond the arc was off the mark as time expired.

"After we had that offensive foul, I was just thinking about how bad of a game it would be to drop," Warriors center David Lee said. "Although it was close, it would have been a tough one to lose on the road and we needed that game so I'm glad we got it."

Trailing by a score of 18-7, the Bobcats ended the first quarter on a 21-12 run. Wallace tallied eight points during the stretch, including a layup to cut the gap to 30-28 after 12 minutes.

Neither team led by more than five in the second stanza, but Louis Amundson's tip-in and Curry's layup prior to the half gave the Warriors a 52-46 edge.

After Diaw opened the third with a hook shot, Golden State ripped off six straight points to build a 58-48 margin. The Warriors held a 77-70 lead heading to the fourth.

Game Notes

Charlotte swept a home-and-home series with Golden State a season ago and had won three straight against the Warriors...Bobcats forward Tyrus Thomas missed the contest with a sore right wrist...Golden State was without centers Dan Gadzuric (groin) and Andris Biedrins (ankle)...The Warriors improved to 5-13 away from Oakland this season...Charlotte was trying for the franchise's 200th win...The Bobcats fell to 2-1 under new head coach Paul Silas, who took over last week when Larry Brown stepped down from the post.