Stephen Jackson scored 31 points, including a tying 3-pointer in the final second of regulation, and the Charlotte Bobcats rallied for 121-113 overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
The former Warriors standout was booed throughout, none louder than after his 28-footer with 0.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter banked in. He added seven rebounds, four assists and some big baskets in overtime to help the Bobcats to their third straight win and fifth in the last six games.
Stephen Curry had 27 points, and Monta Ellis scored 21 for a Warriors team that blew a 16-point lead and is fading fast during its longest homestand of the season. Golden State has lost four straight games.
Things couldn’t be more different for Charlotte.
The Bobcats continued their surprising turnaround under new coach Paul Silas. They improved to 11-6 since Silas replaced Larry Brown, and at 19-25 they hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
D.J. Augustin had 27 points and 12 assists, and Boris Diaw scored 13 points for Charlotte. The Bobcats were lethargic for most of the game but got a big lift from the one-time Warrior Jackson.
The Bobcats took advantage of some missed free throws late by Golden State and perhaps a little luck, too. In a frantic scramble with the clock winding down, Jackson—who had an ugly divorce from Golden State last season—banked in a 3 from the top of the arc.
Jackson strutted his way back to the Bobcats bench, loving every boo Warriors fans showered upon him. He continued by making his first jumper of overtime, and never relented.
Sports
Jackson’s shot capped a big comeback for the Bobcats, who whittled a 16-point deficit down to two late and gave themselves a chance to win. They scored 11 straight to close the third quarter, and were within a basket for most of the fourth—not tying it until Jackson’s shot.
