OAKLAND, Calif. _ The Warriors have two guards that can make almost any shot from any distance. So good luck trying to stop Stephen Curry. That might come at the expense of leaving Klay Thompson open.
The Warriors also have two forwards that can playmake for others. So good luck trying to limit Draymond Green's passing. That might just make it easier for Kevin Durant to make a play.
The Warriors finished with a 137-90 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at Oracle Arena for all the familiar reasons. They have plenty of talent.
But the Warriors (52-24) cemented a Pacific Division I title for the fifth consecutive season and their most lopsided win of the season because of how well they used those star players.
Curry (25 points) and Thompson (24) took care of the scoring. Thompson went 9-of-16 from the field and 6-of-9 from 3. Curry shot 8-of-14 overall and 5-of-8 from deep. Curry broke his own NBA record by making at least five 3's in eight consecutive games. Thompson surpassed Rashard Lewis for 16th place on the NBA's all-time career 3's list.
Durant and Green took care of the playmaking. While Durant added 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting, he also recorded nine assists. While Green added 10 points on a 4-of-6 clip and 2-of-4 mark from 3, he also had nine assists.
As a result, the Warriors cruised against the Hornets (35-41) well before the game was over and cemented a one-game cushion over the Denver Nuggets (52-25) for first place in the Western Conference with six regular-season contests left. The Warriors entered the fourth quarter with a 105-72. In related news, Warriors coach Steve Kerr rested all four of those players for the entire fourth.
