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Walker leads Bobcats over Warriors

Dec 10, 2013 - 6:29 AM Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Kemba Walker poured in 31 points and the Charlotte Bobcats staved off a comeback effort from the Golden State Warriors to come away with a 115-111 victory at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Gerald Henderson added 24 points and Josh McRoberts scored 11 along with 10 rebounds and six assists as the Bobcats earned their second straight win and spoiled the homecoming of Warriors star Stephen Curry.

"We had a cushion and they made their run, but we made them fight and we were able to execute and win the game," said Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford. "This was the best game these guys played this season, so far."

Curry put on quite a show in defeat, with the Charlotte native racking up 43 points -- 19 of which came in the fourth quarter -- in addition to dishing out nine assists.

"Stats don't matter because it's all about getting the win," said Curry. "I've had games like this before and it doesn't feel good to lose no matter how many points you score."

Klay Thompson also overcame a slow start to tally 22 points for the Warriors, with David Lee posting 14 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

Charlotte's tough defense stifled both Curry and Thompson for much of the first half, with the duo going a combined 1-of-14 from the field to begin the contest as the Bobcats steadily built a double-digit lead.

The Warriors shot just 33 percent overall for the first quarter and trailed 27-21 at period's end, and Charlotte increased the margin when McRoberts opened the second with a layup and Anthony Tolliver knocked down an open look from 3-point range on the Bobcats' next possession.

Charlotte was up by as many as 14 in the second quarter and entered the break owning a 53-41 advantage, getting 11 of those points off nine Golden State turnovers.

Both Curry and Thompson got hot following the stoppage, however, as the Warriors began to close the gap. The backcourt tandem hit 6-of-10 shots from beyond the arc during the third quarter, with Curry netting eight points during a 15-6 surge he capped with a short jumper that trimmed Golden State's deficit to 83-77 heading into the fourth.

Curry kept scoring at will during the final frame, and the Warriors drew even at 88-88 when he sank a pair of foul shots with just under nine minutes to play.

The Bobcats responded, countering with a 15-4 sequence in which Ben Gordon, Tolliver and Walker all buried treys to restore a double-digit differential with five minutes remaining.

Curry wouldn't let Golden State go down easily, though, putting up 11 points down the stretch as the Warriors made one final charge. The All-Star guard brought his team back within two by draining a 3-pointer with 11 seconds to go that made the score 111-109.

Walker then made two critical free throws before Curry misfired from long distance on the other end to have the Warriors' rally fall short.

Game Notes

Charlotte halted a 14-game losing streak to Western Conference teams, with the most recent win a 102-101 decision over Minnesota on Jan. 26 of last season. The Bobcats are just 2-28 in their last 30 matchups against the West ... Charlotte prevailed despite having swingman Jeffrey Taylor (bruised left heel) and center Bismack Biyombo (sprained ankle) out of the lineup, with both getting hurt in Friday's win over Philadelphia ... Golden State guard Toney Douglas returned from a 14-game absence caused by a stress reaction in his left tibia, hitting a 3-pointer in two-plus minutes of time ... The Bobcats went 6-of-12 on 3-point tries, compared to an 11-of-37 success rate for the Warriors.