The Charlotte Hornets continue their terrifying run, slipping to their eighth straight loss in a game they had control of for the most part. 

Consequently the Golden State Warriors have propelled themselves ever forward, gathering momentum after scraping by for their eight straight win - after their superstars greatly underperformed. 

Marreese Speights was the hero of the night, providing 27 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 24 minutes off the bench. 16 of Speights' points came in a surging fourth quarter, where the Warriors finally connected on their electric offense, outscoring the Hornets 32-21.  

The Hornets fed 'Big Al' Jefferson early, starting the match with eight straight points, as the Hornets began limiting the tempo and taking the wind out of Golden State's sails by scoring 20 buckets from the paint in the first quarter. 

Yet Jefferson's 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks impact was greatly limited for the remainder of the contest, as the marquee Australian Andrew Bogut demonstrated his greatly heightened importance after many sub-par seasons.

With Bogut staying healthy, he has proven to be a great defender and an excellent top of the key passer, as he gathered five assists and three blocks this game. 

Charlotte burst out of halftime to gather a game-high 10-point lead behind stellar bench play from point guard Brian Roberts, boasting 20 points. Roberts proved that his experience in Europe before the NBA has paid dividends, hitting many floaters over the Warriors' defense. 

The game looked finished towards the end of the third quarter, as the Warriors usual three-point prowess was nowhere to be found, shooting a dismal 7-of-26 from behind the arc. 

The Warriors field goal percentage was also underwhelming at 42.4 percent - making it nearly impossible to understand how the Hornets let this game slip.

It may have fallen on the shoulders of the underperforming Lance Stephenson who, although orchestrated the offense beautifully by gathering eight assists, only contributed 11 points.

Stephenson was expected to live up to the hype around the "three star trio" of Walker, Jefferson, and himself, but he hasn't yet. Cody Zeller contributed gallantly with 15 points and 14 rebounds. In addition, Kemba Walker achieved a double-double with 13 points and 13 assists. 

14 turnovers cost the Hornets the game, yet the Warriors had 11 on the other end, so the foundational reason of losing the game came down to poor coaching and player execution from the Hornets team.

16 offensive rebounds gifted to the Warriors demonstrated the absence of Marvin Williams from the Hornets side, as they looked underdone and lackadaisical on the glass. 

Overall, this was a game that will further break Charlotte's already broken spirits, as they will face the Hawks in Atlanta, who overcame the Pelicans in their last game. 

Golden State will clash against Detroit at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Charlotte:

Points - Roberts 20

Rebounds - Zeller 14

Assists - Walker 13

Golden State:

Points - Speights 27

Rebounds - Green 10

Assists - Curry 6