KEVIN Durant kept the Golden State Warriors humming even without injured top scorer Stephen Curry as a blazing start led to an easy win over the Charlotte Hornets, 101-87, on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time).
With Curry out at least two weeks due to an ankle injury, Durant took over and nabbed his first triple-double this season as he finished with a season-high 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to go with two blocks.
After a tight ballgame halfway through the first quarter, the Warriors started pulling away with a 35-10 blitz to lead by as much as 26, 48-22, late in the second period.
The Hornets managed to get as close as seven halfway through the fourth quarter, but the Warriors squashed the comeback with a 14-3 counter to seal their fifth straight win.
Klay Thompson chipped in 22 points, including four triples, while Nick Young fired 10 markers off the bench for Golden State, who also saw Draymond Green sit out and Zaza Pachulia exit after just five minutes of play.
Kemba Walker led the Hornets (9-14) with 24 points, while Nic Batum and Dwight Howard scored 15 and 14 markers, respectively.
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