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Battle for Play-in: GSW vs NOP, Steph’s ninth 40-point game
The No. 11 New Orleans Pelicans and No. 9 Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference met today in the first of their first back-to-back games.
The Warriors needed to defeat the Pelicans by a score of 123-108 to maintain their position in the play-in tournament.
They are close to securing a spot in the play-in competition with the victory.
The Warriors, who were 32-32, climbed to 33-32 and are now tied for the eighth position with the Memphis Grizzlies in terms of victory percentage (.508).
The Memphis Grizzlies have 9 games remaining and are currently 32-31.
The Warriors got out to a fast start in the game and rode that momentum to a victory over the Pelicans.
With seven games left, the Pelicans are currently four games behind the Warriors, who are ranked ninth.
The Warriors defeat the Pelicans thanks to Stephen Curry’s seventh 40-plus game performance.
The Golden State Warriors dominated the opening period
With a 12-1 run to start the game on Monday, the Warriors took the early advantage.
30 seconds into the game, Stephen Curry converted a layup off a pass from Draymond Green to make it 4-0.
In the following play, Draymond stopped jumpers by Warriors Andrew Wiggins and Pelicans sensation Zion Williamson.
With 10:12 remaining, Wiggins swooped in once more and made a layup to make the score 6-1.
Early in the first, Stephen and Wiggins again scored to make it 12-1 before Willy Hernangomez of the Pelicans scored.
Draymond responded by scoring on the following possession, giving him an 11-point lead.
With 7:43 left in the game, Steph made a three-pointer off of a pass from Draymond to make it 14-5.
After making the three-point shot, he scored 7 points by playing 5 points while making 3 of 4 field goal attempts.
After the Warriors’ aggressive shooting in the first quarter, the Pelicans were in the lead the entire time.
With 5:33 left in the game, Zion made the shot to reduce the deficit to five points.
Soon, Steph and Draymond played tic-tac-toe to send the ball to Juan Toscano so that he could make a three-pointer.
The lead was then increased to 11 points when Toscano received another tic-tac-toe pass and made another three-pointer.
With 1:37 left in the game, Steph sank back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the score to 36-19.
The Warriors had an 18-point lead at the end of the first quarter
Warriors maintained their lead in the second quarter as Zion Williamson paced up and scored the opening basket. Then, Lonzo Ball’s pass led to another score.
With 7:53 left in the game, the Warriors kept up their scoring surge, making the score 42-27.
Jordan Poole made a bucket before making a three-pointer off an assist from Kent Bazemore.
Before Brandon Ingram’s score for the Pelicans to trim the Warriors’ 22-point lead to just two points, the Warriors went on a 14-4 scoring run.
Before Poole scored once more with a three-pointer and Steph immediately retaliated with a layup.
In the game’s waning minutes, the Pelicans attempted to get back into it by going on a 9-0 run that brought the score to 62-46.
Draymond scores for the Warriors to stop the run with an aggressive drive to the basket.
With 28.6 seconds left in the second quarter, Bledsoe drew a foul and scored a basket as well, but the Pelicans immediately replied with a basket.
At the horn, Ball makes a three-pointer off a pass from Naji Marshall to end the quarter with a score of 66-51.
The pelicans had a strong third-quarter start
They began the third quarter the same way they closed the second, by making the opening basket.
Curry sank from behind the arc before making one more bucket after that.
On the following possession, he made his fifth of the night with another three-pointer from beyond the arc.
For the Pelicans to begin their 10-3 run, Bledsoe made a three-pointer over Curry.
With 2:05 left in the game, Steph makes his eighth three-pointer while Ball is defending him.
With 56.7 seconds left in the quarter, Mychal Mulder made the three-pointer, giving the Warriors a 97-80 lead.
The Warriors maintain their advantage.
The quarter began with a basket from Zion Williamson, and Wiggins immediately responded with a shot from beyond the arc.
Both teams traded baskets as they went back and forth, with the Pelicans trailing the Warriors by more than ten points for the remainder of the quarter.
In the end, the Warriors won their first consecutive game 123-108.
The following game features a rematch between the Pelicans and the Warriors.
Stephen Curry’s ninth game of forty or more.
With Klay Thompson missing back-to-back seasons due to injury and the Warriors’ entire roster shifting, it was unrealistic for them to contend for the championship this year.
The Warriors are now in a phase of reconstruction
Last but not least, Kelly Oubre’s injury prevented him from playing the entire season.
However, thanks to Stephen Curry’s accurate shooting and seemingly endless range, as well as other players stepping up to deliver excellent performances, they are once again a playoff threat.
As they come close to securing a place in the play-in competition.
Additionally, this victory over the Pelicans has improved their chances of competing in the play-in event.
Stephen Curry, who scored 41 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists in his tenth 40-plus game, was a key contributor to this victory.
He dominated the Pelicans right away by scoring 17 points in the opening frame.
The Warriors star made 8 three-pointers during the game and scored 23 of his 40 points in the third quarter.
Warriors forward Draymond Green stated, “There is an advantage whenever you go on the floor with Steph Curry.
Teams are therefore afraid of him and follow him wherever on the field, ball in hand or not.
He drags a lot of weight with that kind of gravity.
“I wouldn’t want to see a squad that included Steph Curry.
We are all aware of his abilities.
On any given night in the NBA, the guy can take over a game and make it difficult for any team.
“How are you going to feel if you get into a street brawl and Mike Tyson is standing by your side?” Juan Toscano-Anderson, a Warriors forward, stated.
The best comparison I can provide you is that. He is simply a different man.
I, therefore, know to seek him in a pickle because, more often than not, he will make something happen.
The defense simply gravitates toward him like a magnet, which is opening up a lot of possibilities.
Fifth triple-double for Draymond
He had assistance from his teammates along the route to scoring forty or more points and winning the game.
Curry remarked, “You can feel it. “I get it going in the first quarter, especially on nights like tonight, and that gives everyone more faith that we can make solid shots.
“At the end of the day, a vet should pull everyone up, that’s what they’re supposed to do.
They meet our intensity, aggression, and attitude, and I draw energy from them when they do.
Steph was closely followed on the scoreboard by Andrew Wiggins, who finished with 26 points and 4 rebounds for the Warriors.
Draymond Green achieved a triple-double for the sixth time in the contest with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists.
Draymond would be the best candidate to guard Zion in the NBA, according to Kerr.
He is the league’s smartest defender since he has seen it all, but he also has the strength to stay in front of the opponent.
And while we made an effort to assist without entirely abandoning the shooters, Draymond is the best defensive weapon available.
Jordan Poole scored 11 points, followed by Juan Toscano-Anderson with 14 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds to lead the Warriors bench.
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The Pelicans were headed by Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson, however, led the Pelicans with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and a helper.
Brandon Ingram achieved similar results, finishing with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The only other Pelicans starter to reach double figures in scoring was Willy Hernangomez, who finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and an assist.
Naji Marshall led the Pelicans’ bench with 12 points and 6 rebounds in the meantime. Eric Bledsoe also contributed with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Tuesday’s game between the Pelicans and Warriors is the final one of the back-to-back series.
