CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than an hour after Stephen Curry had turned another road arena into a cozy backyard with the friendliest of rims, he mingled with those who had come hoping for or expecting no less. And still he astonished them with a 28-point third quarter, including an exhilarating flurry of long-range exactitude, 19 points over 3 minutes 42 seconds that turned an 8-point lead into a 21-point blowout.
He had blitzed the buzz out of the Charlotte Hornets with 40 points over all in a shade over 30 minutes played; 40 points on 18 shots taken, 14 made, for the Golden State Warriors, who have not lost a game since June of last season.