If you had any question how well liked young Stephen Curry is in the Queen City, then that was certainly answered tonight. Returning home to Charlotte as a Golden State Warrior, the rookie received a standing ovation in player introductions and was cheered nearly every time he touched the ball. However, Gerald Wallace, DJ Augustin, and Boris Diaw helped the Charlotte Bobcats ruin his trip home, winning 101-90.
Curry, who was the leader of the miracle Davidson squad that made the Elite Eight in 2008, scored 25 points but went just 8-23 from the field, including an 0-3 start that featured an airball. The rest of his team didn’t help much either, with only Corey Maggette (19 points) and Charlottean Anthony Morrow (11) also reaching double figures.
The Bobcats, however, had a team game going and began to pull away in the fourth quarter, led by DJ Augustin’s 19 points on 7-10 shooting and 3 of 4 three pointers. Gerald Wallace, who was ejected with a minute left to go in the game for throwing an elbow that didn’t connect, had a spectacular game, putting in 18 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing two assists, and blocking five shots. Augustin and Wallace were not alone, however, as Boris Diaw nearly had a triple double (14 pts/12rbds/9ast), Stephen Jackson had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Theo Ratliff had 11 points and 5 rebounds in his 7th consecutive start. Tyson Chandler continued his impressive return from a foot injury, adding 2 points, 4 rebounds, and a block in 7 minutes off the bench.
Notes: When discussing Stephen Curry, Coach Larry Brown said “If I ever retire, I’d pay to see him play”…Gerald Wallace will likely receive a one game suspension for the “foul” he commited on Anthony Tolliver leading to his ejection, even though the elbow thrown did not connect and he denies any malevolence whatsoever: “It was not intentional. I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody, everyone knows I’m not that type of player”…Gerald Henderson once again saw meaningful minutes, going 1-4 from the field for 3 pts and 3 rbds with 2 steals…Centers Nazr Mohammed and DeSagana Diop once again missed the game, with back spasms and a right MCL sprain, respectively…Owner-to-be Michael Jordan sat courtside for the third straight home game, making him 3-3 since it was announced he was buying the team…the only players who entered the game and did not record a turnover were Derrick Brown and Tyson Chandler…Former Bobcats Raja Bell and Vladi Radmanovic, who were traded for Stephen Jackson, were on the Warriors bench. Bell currently owns a house in Charlotte…The Bobcats are now 22-8 at home and 30-31 overall, ninth in the East.
