The Golden State Warriors know firsthand the dangers of overlooking a team missing their best player. Their frustrating losses this year include against a Milwaukee Bucks team that was playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and an Indiana Pacers squad sans Tyrese Haliburton and a few other starters. And they know firsthand how good a team can be in their first game of a new coaching era, as their first loss of the season came against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first game of the Tiago Splitter
era.
Both of those things were in play on Sunday night, when they headed to Louisiana to face a New Orleans Pelicans team that was playing without Zion Williamson, in their first game since firing former Warriors assistant Willie Green and naming James Borrego interim head coach.
Thankfully, the Warriors have apparently learned from their mistakes. There would be no letdown and no meltdown this time, just 124-106 win that gave the Dubs their first three-game winning streak of the young NBA season.
After a slightly sloppy start that led to a 6-2 deficit, the Warriors turned on the burners, and never looked back. they fired off a 12-0 run to take a lead that they would never relinquish, and quickly led by double figures as the offense came flowing in. It was a fun and fast-paced first quarter, and the Pelicans had no answers for the Warriors offense.
But, while it was a total team effort in an explosive first, there was one standout: Moses Moody. The fifth-year wing, recently inserted into the starting lineup, made a pair of threes in the team’s 12-0 run, and had four before the halfway mark of the quarter. His fifth three of the quarter gave the team a 23-9 lead just past the midpoint of the frame, and then he went to the bench for a quick breather. But he returned before the end of the quarter, and drained his sixth and seventh threes.
In just one quarter, Moody had set his career high for threes in a game, and it gave the Dubs their best-scoring quarter of the season, as they led 44-28.
They couldn’t stay hot in the second quarter, though. In fact, they went ice cold. The Pelicans, in an attempt to slow down the Warriors, went to a zone defense, and it worked wonders. New Orleans was playing with tons of energy on both ends, and the Warriors, while getting decent looks, couldn’t make anything. They missed their first 10 field goal attempts of the quarter as the Pelicans pulled back to within single digits, before Will Richard finally broke the damn with a tip-in after more than four minutes of action.
The Warriors found some mid-quarter life after back-to-back threes by Buddy Hield pushed the lead back to 14 points, and then the teams exchanged extended runs. The Warriors once again went into an offensive rut, while the highly-athletic Pelicans lineup had no issue penetrating the defense and getting to the paint. New Orleans scored 10 consecutive points to get within four, and had all the momentum as halftime approached.
But the Warriors answered with an 8-0 run of their own, which was punctuated by Jimmy Butler III stealing the ball in the halfcourt and taking it all the way for an uncontested dunk with just 0.3 seconds remaining. Despite Steph Curry shooting 0-for-6 and Draymond Green 0-for-7, the Warriors still led 61-49 at halftime.
It seemed like Golden State’s goal in the third quarter was to end the game early, and stay out of drama. They couldn’t push the lead to a huge margin, but they never ceded control. They simply cruised through the third quarter, with excellent defense and strong playmaking. Around the halfway mark of the third, Curry finally made his first field goal, and later followed it up with his first (and only) triple of the game. The Warriors were able to push the lead to 20, but they got a little sloppy as the quarter wore on, and gave some of it back. Still and all, it was an 85-71 advantage entering the fourth quarter, and it simply felt like it was the Warriors game to lose.
They wouldn’t lose it. They wouldn’t even consider it. They didn’t let up to begin the fourth quarter, and New Orleans never really threatened. There was no push by New Orleans, as the Dubs coasted to a 124-106 win.
Moody finished his career game with 32 points, while shooting 10-for-16 from the field and 8-for-12 from three point range, while also grabbing four rebounds. Butler added 18 points and 10 assists while shooting 6-for-8 from the field, 1-for-1 on threes, and 5-for-5 on free throws, while Brandin Podziemski dropped in 19 points off the bench.
With the victory, the Warriors ensured that they’ll finish their six-game road trip with, at the least, a split. They’ll head to Florida for two chances to win the road trip: on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic at 4:00 p.m. PT, and on Wednesday at the Miami Heat at 4:30 p.m. PT.
