Warriors 98, Hornets 88: David Lee recorded his league-leading 50 double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds as Golden State crept closer to clinching a playoff spot by dispatching of visiting New Orleans.

Stephen Curry collected 20 points and nine assists and Jarrett Jack added 19 and eight assists off the bench for the Warriors, who stayed a game clear of the Houston Rockets for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference. Golden State is 4 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Utah with seven games left.

Eric Gordon scored 21 points and Greivis Vasquez recorded 15 points and nine assists as the Hornets dropped their seventh straight road game.

The Warriors held an 83-72 lead with 7:54 left before New Orleans made one last push, closing to within 84-78 on Al-Farouq Aminu’s jumper with 5:13 left. But Lee and Curry combined on a 6-0 run and Golden State closed it out.

The Hornets came out strong and held a 28-19 lead after the first quarter before falling off the pace in the second. Curry hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points during a 14-4 burst that put the Warriors on top and Jack’s jumper in the final seconds made it a 51-42 lead at the break.

New Orleans kept it close in the third quarter but never managed to retake the lead. The Hornets drew within 69-68 but Jack responded with a 3-pointer and Golden State carried a 74-70 lead into the final quarter.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Warriors held New Orleans rookie F Anthony Davis to six points on 2-of-11 shooting. … Golden State finished 4-1 on its five-game homestand and will travel to Phoenix on Friday before returning home for three straight. … Warriors G Klay Thompson scored eight points on 4-of-11 shooting and has totaled 18 points on 20 percent shooting in the last three games. … Hornets C Robin Lopez scored 17 points after being limited to single figures in each of the last two games.