The No. 11 New Orleans Pelicans of the Western Conference took on the No. 9 Golden State Warriors in their first back-to-back games, which began tonight.
TO KEEP THEIR PLACE IN THE PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT, THE WARRIORS TOOK THEIR FIRST WIN IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES, DEFEATING THE PELICANS 123-108.
With the victory, they secured a spot in the play-in tournament.
The Warriors improved to 33-32 with a win percentage of.508, matching the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies.
The Memphis Grizzlies are 32-31 with 9 games remaining.
The Warriors began the game on a strong run, which they maintained throughout to defeat the Pelicans.
With seven games remaining, the Pelicans are four games behind the Warriors in ninth place.
The Warriors beat the Pelicans thanks to Stephen Curry’s ninth forty-plus game.
The first quarter was Dominated by the Golden State Warriors
The Warriors jumped out to an early 12-1 lead in Monday’s game.
Stephen Curry scored a layup on Draymond Green’s pass to put the game up 4-0 30 seconds in.
On the next possession, Draymond blocked Pelicans star Zion Williamson and Warriors Andrew Wiggins from hitting a jumper.
With 10:12 remaining in the game, Wiggins scored again and dropped a layup to make it 6-1.
Stephen and Wiggins scored again early in the third quarter to make it 12-1 before Pelicans Willy Hernangomez scored.
Draymond scored on the next possession to take an 11-point lead.
Steph hit a three-pointer off Draymond’s pass to make it 14-5 with 7:43 remaining.
He scored 7 points after hitting the three-pointer and played 5 minutes, shooting 3 of 4 from the field.
The Pelicans trailed the Warriors throughout the quarter due to the Warriors’ hot shooting.
With 5:33 left in the game, Zion scored to cut the lead to five points.
Soon after, Draymond and Steph played tic-tac-toe to pass it to Juan Toscano for a three-pointer.
Following that, another tic-tac-toe pass came to Toscano for another three-pointer, restoring the lead to 11 points.
Steph hit back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the game to 36-19 with 1:37 remaining.
The Warriors led by 18 points at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriors Maintain their Lead in the Second Half
Zion Williamson set the tone by scoring the first point of the quarter. Then he scored again on a pass from Lonzo Ball.
The Warriors, on the other hand, continued their scoring run, bringing the game to 42-27 with 7:53 remaining.
Jordan Poole scored a bucket and then a three-pointer off a pass from Kent Bazemore.
The Warriors went on a 14-4 scoring run before Brandon Ingram scored for the Pelicans to cut the Warriors’ 22-point lead to two points.
Steph responded with a layup, and Poole scored again with a three-pointer.
The Pelicans did try to get back into the game in the final few minutes, going on a 9-0 run to bring the score to 62-46.
Draymond aggressively drives to the basket, scoring to break the Warriors’ run.
With 28.6 seconds left in the second quarter, the Pelicans responded with a bucket, and Bledsoe drew a foul and scored as well.
At the buzzer, Ball hits a three-pointer off Naji Marshall’s pass to end the quarter at 66-51.
The Pelicans get off to a Fast Start in the Third
They began the third quarter in the same way they ended the second, scoring the first basket.
Following that, he hit another three-pointer before Curry was fouled from behind the arc.
In the next possession, he hit another three-pointer from behind the arc for his fifth of the night.
The Pelicans went on a 10-3 run after Bledsoe hit a three-pointer over Curry.
With 2:05 remaining in the game, Steph hits his seventh three-pointer with Ball defending him.
With 56.7 seconds remaining in the quarter, Mychal Mulder hit a three-pointer to put the Warriors up 97-80.
The Warriors Maintain their Lead
The quarter began with a bucket by Zion Williamson, followed by a shot from behind the arc by Wiggins.
Both teams traded buckets, with the Pelicans trailing the Warriors by more than ten points for the remainder of the quarter.
Finally, the Warriors won 123-108 for their first back-to-back victory.
The Pelicans and Warriors will meet again in their next game.
Stephen Curry’s Ninth 40-point Game
With Klay Thompson missing back-to-back seasons due to injury and the entire rooster changing, it was unrealistic for the Warriors to compete for the title this season.
And the Warriors are in the process of rebuilding. Recently, Kelly Oubre’s injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.
Steph scored 41 Points to secure the Victory
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors scores 41 points to secure the victory. (source:mercurynews.com)
However, Stephen Curry’s impressive shooting and unlimited range, combined with other players stepping up to put on an impressive performance, has re-established them as a playoff contender.
They are on the verge of securing a spot in the play-in tournament.
And this victory over the Pelicans has increased their chances of competing in the play-in tournament even more.
Stephen Curry, who scored 41 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists in his ninth forty-plus game, was a key player in this victory.
He dominated the Pelicans from the start, scoring 17 points in the first quarter.
The Warriors’ star scored 23 of his 40 points in the third quarter and made 8 three-pointers.
Steph’s Teammates are at his game
“There’s an advantage whenever you step on the floor with Steph Curry,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said.
“So, teams are terrified of him, and teams are terrified of him everywhere he runs on the floor, with or without the ball.” He pulls a lot of weight with that kind of gravity.
“I wouldn’t want to be on a team with Steph Curry.” We’re all aware of what he’s capable of. On any given night, the guy can take over a game and make life difficult for any team in the NBA.”
“How do you feel if you get into a street fight and Mike Tyson is standing by your side?” According to Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson.
“That is the best analogy I can think of.” He’s just…different, man. So, if I get into a jam, I know I’ll be looking for him; he’ll usually make something happen.
The defense, he’s like a magnet; the defense is just gravitating towards him, which opens up a lot of possibilities.”
Draymond Green’s fifth triple-double
He received assistance from his teammates on his way to scoring forty points and winning the game.
Curry stated, “You can feel it.” “Especially on nights like tonight, when I get it going in the first quarter, it gives everyone confidence that we can make good shots.”
“At the end of the day, that’s what a vet is supposed to do: uplift everyone.” And I get energy from them when they encounter our intensity, aggressiveness, and attitude.”
Steph Curry was followed on the scoreboard by Andrew Wiggins, who had 26 points and 4 rebounds.
Draymond Green recorded his fifth triple-double of the season, finishing with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists.
“If you had to pick one player in the NBA to guard Zion, it would be Draymond,” Kerr said.
“He’s the smartest defender in the league because he’s seen everything, but he’s got the strength to stay in front of him.”
And we tried to help as much as we could without completely abandoning shooters, but Draymond is the ultimate defensive weapon.”
Juan Toscano-Anderson led the Warriors bench with 14 points, four assists, and five rebounds, followed by Jordan Poole with 11 points.
The Pelicans were led by Zion Williamson
For the Pelicans, Zion Williamson had 32 points, eight rebounds, and an assist.
Brandon Ingram also had 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Willy Hernangomez had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and an assist as the only other Pelicans starter to score in double figures.
Naji Marshall led the Pelicans’ bench with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Similarly, Eric Bledsoe chipped in 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The Pelicans and Warriors will play again on Tuesday to complete the back-to-back set.
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