Warriors hold Father Time at bay in New Year's Eve win over young Hornets

Meanwhile Green responded to trade rumors suggesting he could be headed to the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis by delivering a vintage performance. He consistently found players for easy baskets, whether it was Curry and Butler on backdoor cuts or players open for wide-open threes (the Warriors made 24 Wednesday), and tipped in a Curry miss to ice the game in crunch time.

Hornets have a bright future — eventually

The 11-22 Hornets gave the Warriors a serious scare thanks to an offense that has become excellent once Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball got healthy. That duo, aged 23 and 24, combined for 60 points against the Warriors, with 20-year-old Kon Knueppel adding 20 points and eight assists on 7-of-11 shooting.

Charlotte is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the NBA, thanks primarily to Knueppel, who is making 3.7 three-balls per game and shooting 43.2 percent. Last year's No. 6 pick, Tidjane Salaun, has looked like a a different player since returning from injury in December, shooting 47.4 percent from deep and 53.4 percent overall. The Hornets defense is a work in progress, but the offense has a chance to be spectacular by the end of the season.

There's likely going to be changes coming for the Hornets. Forward Grant Williams is close to returning from last season's ACL tear. Collin Sexton is on an expiring contract and could be very attractive to a contender, though he's been a great fit in Charlotte. Salaun's emergence could see the Hornets look to trade Miles Bridges, signed through 2026-27.

For a team that's been bad for years, having an exciting offense makes an 11-22 season far more watchable. But as they learned on New Year's Eve, they've got a long way to go to catch up to veterans like the Warriors, even if they can outrun them during a single game.