Draymond Green, Warriors exact their revenge against the Hornets

These days, when the Golden State Warriors win a game, it’s usually safe to assume that Steph Curry did a bit to carry them there. It’s not that the rest of the Warriors are bad, just that the margin for error is usually slim enough that Curry needs a heroic performance.

Curry was sensational on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, with 29 points on 15 shots and 9 assists. Yet in a rare twist, he never felt like the story of the game, and he absolutely wasn’t carrying the team.

Curry’s performance may have been quiet, but Draymond Green and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s were not. Those performances were loud. Not just loud, but LOUD.

Green in particular made a statement, and it wasn’t surprising. He was the main character during the team’s deflating loss to the same Hornets team six days prior, picking up a pair of costly technical fouls in the final seconds.

He came out of the gates firing, essentially hitting his season averages in the first quarter, with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. When the dust settled he had a triple-double and a career-high in assists: 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting, 12 rebounds, 19 assists, and a game-high +23. Add in his reliable and exceptional defense, and Green was nothing short of a superstar.

Oubre’s performance was a bit more surprising, and just as great to see. He turned the first quarter into his own personal dunk contest, and finished the game with 27 points on 11-for-15 shooting, with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and, like Green, a game-high +23. It was the type of performance that made you think the Warriors might do everything they can to keep Oubre beyond this season.

But more importantly, the Warriors found their much searched for third straight win. It took them eight attempts to put together a three-game winning streak, and Steve Kerr said the players weren’t particularly enthused with the performance.

There were things for the players to be upset about, as they committed a ghastly 23 turnovers, had more than a few lapses in judgement, and they once again tried to gift wrap a fourth-quarter collapse and send it to Charlotte. But they also had 38 assists, played sensational defense for many stretches, and felt in control almost the entire game.

That was good enough for a 130-121 win, and a three-game winning streak. And now they hit the road once more.