When the Charlotte Hornets rolled into Chase Center on Saturday night, they didn’t just bring a game plan - they brought a full-blown obsession. Their defensive approach against Stephen Curry wasn’t just aggressive, it was borderline theatrical.
Think full-court face-guarding, triple-teams before half-court, and a level of attention that would make a Hollywood A-lister blush. The goal was simple: don’t let Steph Curry beat them.
The result? The Golden State Warriors beat them anyway - and did it in style.
Curry, for his part, wasn’t rattled. In fact, he seemed more entertained than anything else.
“There’s a part of you that fights it just because it’s not real basketball,” Curry said after the Warriors’ 136-116 win. “But there’s also a part of it that’s flattering… knowing that you demand that much attention and what it does to create shots for other guys.”
And those “other guys” made the most of the spotlight.
With the Hornets locked in on Curry like he was the only player on the floor, the rest of the Warriors feasted. De’Anthony Melton led the charge with a season-high 24 points, showing off the kind of offensive versatility that makes him such a valuable piece in this system. Draymond Green added 20, continuing to look more comfortable with each game back in the lineup.
But it wasn’t just a two-man show - this was a full-team symphony. Eight Warriors finished in double figures, and for the third straight game, at least 10 different players hit a three-pointer. That’s not just a stat, that’s an NBA record - and a testament to how well this team moves the ball and spaces the floor when Curry’s gravity is pulling defenders into another zip code.
"There's a part of you that fights it just because it's not real basketball… also part of it that's flattering… knowing that you demand that much attention… what it does to create shots for other guys”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 18, 2026
- Steph Curry 😂
pic.twitter.com/Pf3O1KJTR2
Even when he wasn’t scoring in bunches, Curry was still the engine. He finished with 14 points and a handful of assists, but it was his orchestration of a 20-5 third-quarter run - right after Charlotte had cut the lead to three - that effectively broke the game open. That’s the kind of impact you can’t always measure in a box score.
On the other side, Brandon Miller did his best to keep Charlotte in it. He poured in a game-high 28 points, flashing the scoring talent that made him such a high draft pick. But the Hornets’ hyper-focus on Curry left them exposed - and the Warriors took full advantage.
Golden State is now 5-1 on their current homestand, and they’re starting to look like a team that’s rediscovering its rhythm. Curry’s scoring may have taken a backseat in this one, but his gravitational pull - the way he warps defenses just by being on the floor - remains arguably the most dangerous weapon in the NBA.
The Hornets tried to take Curry out of the game. Instead, they just opened the door for everyone else. And when the Warriors are clicking like this, that door leads straight to a blowout.