Golden State 127, Charlotte 94
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) --
Monta Ellis scored 21 points,
Stephen Jackson had 19 and the Warriors made
Jason Richardson miserable in his return to Golden State with a 127-96 victory over the
Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night.
With new acquisition
Chris Webber watching from the bench, the Warriors rolled to a 34-point lead in the third quarter of their ninth win in 12 games.
Baron Davis had just five points and six assists in his first game since being snubbed for an All-Star spot on the Western Conference's loaded team, but Golden State needed little help from its catalyst to finish off the wounded Bobcats.
Richardson had 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting in a dismal return to the arena where he became the Golden State fans' most consistent favorite during six seasons with the club. Golden State traded Richardson to Charlotte last summer after he helped to end the Warriors' 13-year playoff drought, and he got multiple standing ovations in his first game back.
Emeka Okafor had 20 points and 18 rebounds in the Bobcats' third loss in four games.
Raymond Felton, who had 16 points, and
Gerald Wallace both sat out the fourth quarter with sprained ankles for Charlotte, which has two games left on its longest West Coast trip of the season.
Earl Boykins, the 5-foot-5 former Warriors guard, made his debut with Charlotte late in the first quarter. Boykins, who finished with five points and four assists in 23 minutes, signed with the Bobcats on Thursday to provide backcourt depth -- and they might need it if Felton's injury turns out to be serious.
Golden State fans still love Richardson, the charismatic dunker who often provided the club's few highlights in his early years. He played a key role in the Warriors' return to the playoffs last spring, but top executive Chris Mullin reluctantly shipped him to Charlotte in a deal that moved Richardson's big contract and landed
Brandan Wright, the long-term project chosen with the eighth overall draft pick.
Richardson started aggressively against his former teammates, but went just 1-for-8 in the first half as the Warriors sped away with one of their best halves of the season. Jackson hit three 3-pointers as Golden State made a 21-2 run, eventually taking a 28-point lead midway through the second quarter with 61.4 percent shooting.
Charlotte trimmed the lead to 14 points, but Golden State finished the third quarter with a 21-4 run behind
Mickael Pietrus, who had 13 points in the period as Golden State went ahead 101-67. Every played in uniform scored for the Warriors, with six in double figures.
The fans still love J-Rich, but they still aren't certain what to think about C-Webb.
Webber, who won the Rookie of the Year award with Golden State in 1994 before leaving in a fight with coach Don Nelson, hopes to suit up for the Warriors in their next game against Chicago on Thursday.
But the Warriors found a clever way to make sure Webber wouldn't be booed in his first game back in Oakland nearly 14 years after forcing a trade that crippled the franchise for well over a decade. They showed a video montage of Webber's highlights from his season with Golden State on a split screen with a montage of Richardson, and the cheers for J-Rich drowned out a few scattered boos for C-Webb.
Nelson hasn't defined a role for Webber, but believes he'll take minutes from big men
Al Harrington and
Andris Biedrins. Webber once fumed about being used as a decoy to cause defensive problems for other teams' centers, but he's looking forward to a role in the middle of the action this time around.
"The older you become, the more you want to play center, because you want that (opposing) guy to be taller and slower," said Webber, who turns 35 next month.
