Dwight Howard had a season-high 29 points and 13 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets went on a 15-6 run in the third quarter to beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors 111-100.
It was tied at 55 when Nicolas Batum’s 3-pointer put the Hornets ahead for good with 10:09 left in the third quarter. They pulled away to a 70-61 lead with 5:29 left in the quarter and led by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors got within 84-81 on Patrick McCaw’s driving layup with 9:07 to play, but Howard answered with a 16-foot jumper, and the Warriors got no closer.
For the Warriors, Kevin Durant had 27 points and 6 assists, and Klay Thompson added 24 points (13 in the first quarter). Draymond Green had 8 points, 11 rebounds, a season-high 16 assists and 3 blocks.
The Warriors forced 11 turnovers, about 4 fewer than usual for this many possessions.