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The New Orleans Hornets, in hosting the Golden State Warriors, may have taken the hosting responsibilities literally; the Warriors shot 52.3% (48% from 3-point land), while the Hornets lost their shooting touch late in the second half as Golden State left New Orleans Arena with a 116-103 victory over the Hornets.

A problem that also dogged the Hornets was the fact that their bench scored only 9 of the team’s total; Golden State shot 52% in the first half and led by as much as 8 in the first quarter on a driving layup by Monta Ellis.? The Hornets’ Rasual Butler made a 3-pointer, accounting for the only New Orleans bench points, during which they shot a miserable 42%; Chris Paul played all but the final 30 seconds of the first half and kept the Hornets relatively close with 23 first-half points while Peja Stojakovic added 13 and gave New Orleans a brief 52-51 lead.? In the meantime, Golden State made 6 three-pointers in the first half, with Baron Davis draining a trey at the buzzer, giving the Warriors a 58-54 halftime lead.

Both teams shot well during the third quarter, with Golden State clinging onto a slim 90-85 edge going into the fourth quarter; their lead was 92-88 early in the fourth but Ellis’ driving layup sparked a Warriors’ 11-2 run, which included a 3 by Davis, and gave Golden State a 103-90 lead with 6:21 to go in the game.? Unfortunately for New Orleans, they lost their shooting touch late, icing the game for the Warriors.?

Golden State had 6 players in double-digits, led by Stephen Jackson, who had a decent game with 26 points, including 3 treys; Davis scored 23 – including 5 three pointers – along with 9 assists, while Matt Barnes added 17 and a pair of blocked shots.? Ellis chipped in with 16 with 9 boards and 7 assists.? New Orleans was led by Paul with 28 points, 12 assists and a pair of steals, while David West added 24 along with 13 rebounds and 5 blocked shots; Stojakovic poured in 20 – including 3 treys – and grabbed 10 rebounds.? Golden State (28-19) returns home to host the Charlotte Bobcats Friday, while New Orleans (32-13) travels to Sacramento to face the Kings – also on Friday.