Warriors Welcome Hornets in Exciting Weekend Tilt
In the midst of their longest home stand of the 2025-2026 campaign, the Warriors will welcome the Charlotte Hornets to Chase Center on Saturday. Game six of their eight straight games at home, a streak that ties a franchise record, should feature a fun contest. The Hornets are wrapping up a California road trip in which they have gone 1-1 thus far, narrowly losing to the Clippers but cruising against the Lakers after a dominant second quarter last night. Golden State, on the other hand, has done an exceptional job by taking advantage of playing in front of their crowd. The Warriors have only dropped one of their last five games in the Bay, stepping out of their mediocrity and jumping up to four games above .500. This matchup should feature a high pace, a few highlight-reel clips, and a lot of three-pointers.
In tomorrow’s game, don’t be surprised if these two teams try to shoot each other out of the building. Without endorsing any violence, I expect players from either side to take shots from beyond the arc at will, given their teams’ shooting volume and output. This season, Golden State leads the league in both three-pointers attempted and made, while Charlotte ranks third and fifth in those categories, respectively. Both squads have a player who’s coming off a scorching-hot performance from deep range, with Moses Moody cashing in seven triples for Golden State and LaMelo Ball swishing nine for Charlotte in their most recent games. Moody’s contribution was particularly important in Golden State’s win over the Knicks last night, since his early buckets kept the ‘Dubs’ from facing an insurmountable deficit during the first quarter.
The Hornets will undoubtedly look for Ball to lead them, but I believe the presence of both Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges will be critical for Charlotte tomorrow. Oftentimes, Golden State struggles to guard athletic wings, making this a favorable matchup for the two Hornet forwards. Bridges has had steady offensive production, but I can’t say the same thing about Miller, who has recorded 26,13,18, six, and 28 points in his last five games. Will Charlotte get the version of Miller who scored 33 points when these two teams faced off on New Year’s Eve? Or the version that shot two-for-eight from the field against an injury-riddled Pacers team?
For the Warriors, their keys to victory remain the same: avoid silly turnovers, show effort on defense, and move the ball on offense. The Hornets rank dead last in steals, so they won’t pose a big challenge in Golden State for these things. I want to emphasize the latter as key in particular, and show a practical example of how much it helps this group. On Tuesday, the Warriors took down the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time in four tries this season. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Warriors recorded 34 assists on 42 field goals made and won by 20+ points for just the fourth time in their 42 games. This team can’t generate points when the ball sticks, because they don’t have the talent to consistently win with isolation basketball. If they lean into their home court advantage and play smart, the Warriors have more than enough talent to take care of the star-dependent Hornets.
