Ellis helps Golden State come back from 21 down to beat Hornets

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Warriors rally to beat Hornets

OAKLAND, Calif. — Monta Ellis had 28 points and tied his career high with 13 assists, Anthony Tolliver had a career-high 30 points and the Golden State Warriors overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Hornets 131-121 on Wednesday night.

Reggie Williams added 22 points for the Warriors, 18 when Golden State tied a team record with nine 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Williams had four of them, and Devean George added two to help the Warriors win for the second time in three games following a six-game losing streak.

David West had 36 points and 15 rebounds for New Orleans, which lost for the eighth time in its last nine road games. The Hornets have lost 10 of 13 overall to drop eight games behind Portland for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Golden State looked down and out for most of three quarters until staging its biggest comeback of the season.

Ellis sparked the rally with his second straight double double, and Tolliver and Williams, two of five NBA Development League players called up by Golden State this season, combined for 21 points in the fourth quarter.

That was key for the Warriors, who played without third-leading scorer and Rookie of the Year candidate Stephen Curry. Curry sat out with a sprained left ankle, the first game he’s missed this season.

It turns out Golden State didn’t need him after falling behind 87-66 midway through the third quarter. The Warriors, who rallied from 18 points down to win three times this season, looked lost until that point.

It helped that the Hornets were again without leading scorer Chris Paul, who underwent left knee surgery on Feb. 4 and missed his 23rd straight game.

Paul is improving and could be back as early as Saturday against Utah, but coach John Bower said he’s likely to keep Paul out until the team returns home Monday.

Paul’s return comes at a critical time for the Hornets, who are on the verge of falling out of playoff contention.

The Hornets led by as much as 21 after halftime and appeared headed for a blowout until the Warriors made their run beginning late in the third quarter.

Chris Hunter, another Development League, had seven points during a 22-9 burst to end the third, then Ellis scored five quick points in the fourth, including a 3-pointer that tied it at 98 with 10:11 left.

The Warriors later hit three 3-pointers, two straight by Reggie Williams, to take a 111-106 lead. Williams added two more 3-pointers and Ellis scored on a floating 7-foot jumper to make it 119-111.

Curry became the latest to go down, sitting out with a sprained left ankle. Curry, who led Golden State in scoring in four of its previous six games, participated in the pregame shootaround but was a late scratch, the first game he’s missed this season. He’s listed as day-to-day.