The 68-year-old Nelson likely saw enough when he made the decision after Golden State's 115-99 loss at Atlanta on Friday in the second of a five-game road trip. Assistants Keith Smart and Sidney Moncrief will assume the defensive coaching responsibilities for a team that has held opponents to fewer than 100 points just four times this season.

"I'm not tough enough anymore," said Nelson, whose team is 7-20 and allowing a league-worst 112.2 points per game. "I'm getting soft as I get older and I feel like I haven't done a very good job defensively this year."

The Warriors can use any type of change to help spark them defensively after allowing 118.6 points during their current five-game losing skid.

"I hope it works. ... We need to get better," said guard Jamal Crawford, who had six points and three turnovers against the Hawks.

With Stephen Jackson (18.6 points per game) out with a hand injury and leading scorer Corey Maggette (19.1) sidelined for a seventh straight game with a strained right hamstring Friday, Marco Belinelli scored a career-high 27 points and Brandan Wright added a career-best 19.

Though the second-year guard Belinelli is averaging 20.3 points in his last four games, it's uncertain when Jackson or Maggette will return to the lineup to help the club on both ends of the floor.

Despite Charlotte (9-18) averaging a league-low 90.9 points per contest, the Warriors might have a hard time containing the surging Bobcats, who have scored 222 points in their last two games.

Boris Diaw had a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Emeka Okafor added 25 points as the Bobcats shot a franchise-best 65.8 percent from the field in a 112-83 win at Memphis.

"We played great and passed the ball," Charlotte coach Larry Brown said. "For three quarters, we probably played as well as we have all year. I don't think our bigs missed any shots."

In his return after missing one game due to the death of his father, Gerald Wallace added 22 points for the Bobcats, who shot 72 percent in the first half and outscored the Grizzlies 70-42 in the paint on the night.

"We're seeing what we can do when we spread the floor and share the ball," said Wallace, who is averaging just 8.9 points in 15 career games versus Golden State. "You might have a good shot, but there may be one more guy that has a better shot."

Diaw has adjusted quickly to his new team, averaging 18.3 points on 52.5 percent shooting in four games since being traded from Phoenix in a deal that sent Jason Richardson to the Suns.

Charlotte is looking for its fourth consecutive home victory over Golden State, which is 5-3 all-time versus the Bobcats.