They were facing one of the league's worst offensive teams, a club further weakened by injury. It was a homecoming for Stephen Curry and a return to familiar surroundings for Harrison Barnes.
The Warriors on had just about everything in their favor entering the game Monday night at Charlotte.
And gave it away in a 115-111 loss to the Bobcats that has to be the most frustrating defeat of the season.
How maddening was it? Lost in the setback was a 43-point effort by Stephen Curry and the fact that the Warriors outshot and outrebounded the Bobcats – who finished with a season-high in points.
Behind for all but a few moments of the game, the Warriors (12-10) were undone by poor shooting in the first half and turnovers in the second half. Charlotte (10-11) exploited those 15 giveaways for 21 points. The Bobcats committed only seven turnovers, off which the Warriors scored on 4 points.
That and the Warriors baffling inability to get stops on the defensive doomed the visitors at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 31 points, while Gerald Henderson added 24.
The bad news was that the Warriors took a brutal loss to a bad team.
The good news is they'll spend the next couple weeks in the Pacific time zone, most of it in the comfortable environment of Oracle Arena.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE
Curry was the clear offensive star, finishing with 43 points and nine assists. He also committed four turnovers.
Klay Thompson put in 22 points, while Harrison Barnes and David Lee each finished with 14.
TURNING POINT
After a first half when none of the Warriors, including Curry and Thompson, did much of anything, the Splash Brothers carried them from the middle of the third quarter until the point at which the Warriors tied the game at 88-88 with 8:52 left.
But the Warriors then committed three consecutive turnovers, allowing Charlotte to go on a 7-0 run for 95-88 lead with 6:50 remaining. The Bobcats maintained a lead the rest of the way.
INJURY UPDATE
Forward Andre Iguodala (strained left hamstring) remains out indefinitely. The team is hopeful he can return in a week to 10 days.
WHAT'S NEXT
After opening the season with 14 of their first 22 games on the road for the first time ever, the Warriors play seven of their next nine at Oracle Arena. The first visitor, on Wednesday, is the Dallas, featuring Dirk Nowitzki and ex-Warrior Monta Ellis.
