Tag: New Orleans Pelicans

The Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) shoots against the New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe (right) and center Willy Hermangomez bottom at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri May 14, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (38-33) won their fifth straight game, downing the New Orleans Pelicans (31-40) 125-122 Friday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors currently reside in eighth place in the Western Conference. The Memphis Grizzlies, with the same record as the Warriors, meet on Sunday to determine which team will be the number eight team.

A loss to the Pelicans and a Grizzlie win Friday night would not have changed the importance of Sunday’s game. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, decided to rest his three best players Friday night. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins watched the game from the bench.

The Pelicans, in 11th place in the conference, were eliminated from the playoffs last week. Their head coach, Stan Van Gundy, rested Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Steve Adams. Zion Williamson broke his finger last week in the second game against the Warriors, and he is done for the year.

Jordan Poole and Mychal Mulder were in the starting lineup at the guard position. Juan Toscano-Anderson was the other bench player getting a starting assignment. The teams played a very fast-paced and entertaining first quarter. Mychal Mulder was channeling Curry as he knocked down five threes in the first quarter. Jordan Poole paced the Warrior offense with 14 points. The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 41-32 at the end of the first 12 minutes of action.

The Warriors continued to shoot well from the floor. Kent Bazemore, along with Nico Mannion, helped keep the pressure on the Pelican defense. The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 34-25 in the quarter to finish the first half leading 75-57. Mychal Mulder made his sixth three of the game in the quarter and finished the first half with 20 points. Jordan Poole led the team with 24.

Kent Bazemore had 13, and Nico Mannion added nine. The Warriors shot 60% from the floor. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Pelicans with 11. Willy Herangomez had 10, Eric Bledsoe 9, and Jaxson Hayes 7. The Pelicans shot 45% from the floor.

The Pelicans coach, Stan Van Gundy, must have had a heart-to-heart talk with his team about playing defense during the halftime break. The Pelicans turned the tables on the Warriors in the third quarter. Their offense came alive as they put 33 points on the board while holding Golden State to 24. Jordan Poole injured his ankle midway in the quarter. He went to the locker room and had his ankle iced. The Warriors finished the third quarter leading 99-90.

The Warriors were able to maintain the lead for most of the fourth quarter. In his first game in over a month, Eric Paschall was a catalyst keeping the Pelicans at bay. Mulder hit a two-pointer to put the Warriors ahead 112-101. They led by eleven 119-108. It was at this point that the Warrior offense went ice cold.

The Pelicans made stop after stop and were able to go on a 12-0 run to take the lead 120-119. The Warriors went three minutes and 39 seconds without scoring. Eric Paschall broke the spell with a basket to put the Warriors ahead 121-120.

The Pelicans answered with a basket of their own to lead 122-121, with 25.9 seconds left. Jordan Poole hit a basket that took just four seconds of the clock. New Orleans has 21 seconds to find a way to beat the Warriors. They tried, but the Warrior defense held. The Warriors had control of the ball. The Pelicans fouled Poole with 0.1 seconds left. Poole made both free throws, and the game was over. The Warriors win 125-122.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 39-33 for the year. The Pelicans are 31-40. The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Sacramento Kings in Memphis 107-106 to remain in the ninth spot. The winner of Sunday’s game will play the Number seven team in the conference. The Number nine team will play the Number ten team.

Jordan Poole and Mychal Mulder had career-highs in scoring Friday night. Poole finished with 38 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Jordan knocked down four threes. Mulder’s line was 28 points, two rebounds, one assist, and was seven-for 13 from downtown.

Other Warriors in double figures were Kent Bazemore with 14, Eric Paschall had 12 points and four rebounds, Nico Mannion 11 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Juan Toscano-Anderson almost had a triple-double. His numbers were nine points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. The Warrior shot 49% from the floor. They made 17 threes in 39 tries. 

The Pelicans’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker had quite a night with 30 points. He connected on four threes. Naji Marshall had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Willy Hernangomez had 10. Wenyen Garland had 14, and Jaxson Hayes had 19.

The Warriors meet the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center. The game will start at 12:30 pm.

The New Orleans Pelicans Lonzo Ball was taking shots all night leading with 33 points against the Golden State Warriors on Tue May 4, 2021 (@PelicansNBA photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors met the New Orleans Pelicans for the second night in a row. For the Warriors, it was the final game of the four-game road trip. The Warriors drubbed the Pelicans Monday night 123-108. Stephen Curry scored 41. Would the Warriors be able to repeat the effort Tuesday night?

Curry did his part with 37 points. Andrew Wiggins knocked down 26 points and was a force on defense. The Warriors did not have Kelly Oubre, Jr., Damion Lee, or Eric Paschall available. The Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was down to eight players. The Warriors gave it all they had, but they ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and fell to the Pelicans 108-103. 

The Warriors scored 39 points in the first quarter Monday night. Tuesday night, they put 34 points on the board. New Orleans knew they could not afford to lose Tuesday night. They had the big seven-foot New Zealander, Steve Adams, back in the lineup.

Adams’ job was to clog the middle and force the Warriors to make threes. The Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball was determined to play better. Ball played well as he tallied 33 points and connected on seven threes. The Pelicans trailed by two after the first quarter, 34-32.

The second quarter was a very close, competitive contest. Neither team could pull away. The biggest lead the Warriors enjoyed was 50-45. The Pelicans scored the next seven points to lead 52-50. Curry scored the next five points to put the Warriors ahead 55-52.

The Pelicans fought back, and the quarter ended with Golden State holding on to a slim one-point advantage 57-56. Curry led the Warriors with 24 points. Andrew Wiggins had 13. Lonzo Ball paced the Pelicans with 16, and Zion Williamson had 15.

The third quarter was a defensive struggle. Neither team could put points on the board. The Warriors won the quarter 22-19 to finish the third period leading 79-75. With Curry on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter, the Warriors’ second unit had to step up to extend the lead.

Andrew Wiggins answered the call with eight points early in the quarter. Juan Toscano-Anderson hit a three to make it 90-81. It was the Warriors biggest lead of the night. The Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball and Zion Williamson went to work as they kept chipping away at the Warriors lead. The Pelicans tied the game 92-92 with 4:19 left.

Kent Bazemore finally connected on a three to make it 98-95 with 2:30 left. Ball made a three to tie the game. The teams tied again at 100-100. The Pelicans went on an 8-0 run. The Warriors made a three with just a few seconds left to play. New Orleans won the game 108-103.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 33-33 for the year. The Warriors’ last six games of the season will be at the Chase Center in San Francisco. They play the Oklahoma City City Thunder twice, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, and finish with the Memphis Grizzlies on May 16th.

The Warriors had two players in double figures. Curry’s line was 37 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. Curry was 12-for-31 from the floor and 8-for-20 from downtown. Curry did not have it late in the fourth quarter. He made one shot in 12 tries.

Andrew Wiggins, for the second game in a row, tallied 26 points. Andrew was 10-for-21 from the floor and 5-for-10 from behind the 3-point arc. Jordan Poole had nine, Mychal Mulder eight. Kevon Looney had eight points and six boards. Draymond Green’s line was seven points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists.

The team shot 32% from the floor. They made 20 threes in 53 attempts. The Warriors turned the ball over 18 times. The turnovers cost them 19 points. The Warriors committed 17 fouls. The Pelicans had 22 free throws, the Warriors seven.

It was the 34th game of the year that Warriors had 30 or more points. It was the 17th time in the last 19 games with 30 or more. It was the fourth straight game with 20 or more points for Andrew Wiggins. 

Lonzo Ball led the Pelicans with 33. Zion Williamson had a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Eric Bledsoe had 12, Brandon Ingram 13, and Naji Marshall 10. The Pelicans’ last six games are with the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors, and their final game is against the LA Lakers on May 16th. 

The Warriors game against the OKC Thunder is Thursday night. The game starts at 7 pm.

The New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson (1) puts up a hand to stop the Golden State Warriors Ken Bazemore’s (right) shot on Mon May 3, 2021 in New Orleans (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors 32-32) met the New Orleans Pelicans (29-36) for the first time this season Monday Night. With eight players available, the Warriors knew they had to find a way to stop the Pelicans’ big man, Zion Williamson. Williamson loves to go to the rim, and he usually gets fouled on his way there.

Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, wanted his team to a strong start and not play catch up. The team responded to their coach’s wishes as they finished the first quarter leading 39-21. The Warriors did not relinquish the lead the entire game as they beat the Pelicans by a final score of 123-108.

In 11th place in the Western Conference, the Pelicans needed a victory Monday night to close within 2 1/2 games of the Warriors if they hoped to make the playoffs. A loss would severely hurt the Pelicans’ hopes for a playoff berth.

The Warriors came out smoking. They sprinted out to an early 17-5 lead. The Pelicans’ offense woke up to go on a 9-0 run to close within three 17-14. Stephen Curry, along with Andrew Wiggins and Juan Toscano-Anderson, had other thoughts. Curry connected on three threes to pace the Warriors to an 18-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 39-21. Curry had 17 points in the first 12 minutes of play.

The Pelicans scored the first six points of the second quarter to close within 12. Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, And Juan Toscano-Anderson built the lead up to 22, 53-31. The Warriors continued to lead by twenty 66-46 with 40 seconds left in the first half.

The Pelicans took advantage of Warrior miscues in the last 40 seconds to score eight points, and they left the court trailing by 12, 66-54 but feeling confident that they could come back and win the game in the second half. Curry led the Warriors with 21. Wiggins had 14, Toscano-Anderson 10. Zion Williamson had 18 for New Orleans. Brandon Ingram had 11.

The Pelicans started the third quarter with a bucket to make it 66-56. Curry answered with two three-pointers to give the Warriors a 16-point advantage, 72-56. The Pelicans went on the offensive with a 14-3 run to close within six 79-73. Curry righted the ship as the Warriors finished the third quarter with a 15-point lead 95-80.

Andrew Wiggins was the key player on the second unit that started the fourth quarter. Andrew knocked down two threes and two two-point baskets to put the Warriors ahead 105-87. Draymond Green came back into the game with nine minutes left, and Curry came back with eight minutes remaining.

Curry had to be careful as he had committed four fouls. The Warriors found a way to stop Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball. The Warriors led 119-100 after Kent Bazemore knocked down a three. Steve Kerr inserted his seldom-used bench players to finish the game. The Warriors win 123-108.

Game notes and Stats-With the win, the Warriors are 33-32 for the year. They have seven games left in the regular season. They play one more on the road Tuesday night in New Orleans. The final six are at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The Pelicans are now 29-36 with seven games left on their schedule. They play the Warriors Tuesday night and once more in San Francisco.

The Scoring leader for the Warriors was, are you ready for this, Curry. Curry’s line was 41 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. Curry was 14-foe-26 from the floor and 8-for-18 from three-point range. Andrew Wiggins, again playing well on both ends of the court, contributed 26 points.

Green had another triple-double. The Warriors rarely lose when Green records a triple-double, and Monday night was not an exception. Green’s line was ten points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists. Toscano-Anderson had 14, Jordan Poole 11, Bazemore 9.

The Warriors shot 53% from the floor and made 17 three in 44 attempts. On defense, the Warriors had nine steals and eight blocked shots. They forced 16 Pelican turnovers that resulted in 29 points for the Warriors. The one negative was the number of fouls they committed.

The Pelicans were awarded 32 free throws. They made 25. The Warriors scored 12. That 13-point difference made the game seem closer than it was. Zion Williamson let the Pelicans with 32. Brandon Ingram finished with 19. Eric Bledsoe had 11. The Warriors held Lonzo Ball to seven points. Ball was one-for-nine from downtown.

The Warriors meet the Pelicans again Tuesday night in New Orleans. The game will start at 5 pm.