Slam Dunk Central

Back in the day, Charlotte Bobcats swingman Jason Richardson was the go-to guy as a member of the Golden State Warriors.  In a sense, Richardson is the go-to guy right now for the Bobcats as Gerald Wallace is out with a concussion.  On Tuesday night, Richardson showed the Warriors what they were missing by trading him to Charlotte as he scored 42 points, leading the Bobcats to an impressive 118-109 win over Golden State at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Both teams shot well in alternating quarters - Golden State scoring 38 in the first quarter and Charlotte scoring 34 in both the second and third quarters; after falling behind 36-20 in the first quarter, the Bobcats outscored the Warriors 34-19 in the second quarter and methodically built a 103-93 lead on a putback dunk by Emeka Okafor with 8:06 remaining in the game.  Golden State immediately went on a 13-2 run, taking a 106-105 lead on Baron Davis’ layup after Richardson was stripped of the ball at midcourt.

But Richardson’s layup and Raymond Felton’s jumper over Davis  on back-to-back possessions put the Bobcats up 114-109 with 1:40 left, icing the game for Charlotte.  Charlotte’s leading scorer was the aforementioned Richardson with 42 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal while Felton scored 22 with 3 rebounds, 6 assists and a pair of steals.  Okafor added a double-double, scoring 16 with 11 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and 3 blocked shots, while rookie Jared Dudley from off the bench scored 10 with 18 rebounds, an assist, a steal and 2 blocked shots.

Golden State was led by Monta Ellis with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and a blocked shot, while Davis scored 30 with 4 rebounds and 3 assists; Stephen Jackson added 21 with 7 rebounds, an assist and a steal in a losing effort.  Charlotte (22-39) now travels a short distance to Atlanta to face the Hawks Friday night, while Golden State (37-23) travels to Miami to take on the Heat - also on Friday.

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