ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The New Orleans Pelicans were in town to face the Golden State Warriors for the opener of the 2015-16 NBA regular season.
The Pelicans were depleted, without Omer Asik, Luke Babbitt, Norris Cole, Tyreke Evans, and Quincy Pondexter due to injuries. Also out was Jrue Holiday due to rest. Former Warrior Nate Robinson started in place of Holiday.
The Warriors received their championship rings before the game and tipoff did not happen until 8:02PM.
1st Quarter
The Alvin Gentry era got off to a Gentry-like start for the Pelicans as Anthony Davis started the first possession for New Orleans with a three-pointer from the left corner, which missed.
Davis’ counterpart Draymond Green, ironically, followed that up with a three of his own, but he made his, from the left wing assisted by Klay Thompson.
Of all people, Pelicans bigs Kendrick Perkins and Dante Cunningham kept pace with the Warriors, but Andrew Bogut got a feed in traffic from Stephen Curry for a dunk, then Curry stole the ball from backup point guard Ish Smith and scooped in the fast break.
Perkins came through once more with a rare inside layup, making Bogut look pedestrian, but Curry pulled early for a triple and after a Davis palming call, Thompson scored on a curl going to the hoop.
Gentry took a timeout, but Curry stayed hot, drilling a jumper then making the one of the most wicked crossover-and-pop triples you’ll ever see, freezing Smith in his tracks.
Stephen Curry is picking up exactly where he left off https://t.co/AG166kY6ng pic.twitter.com/x8yz8AQEb0
— OHB (@ohholybutt) October 28, 2015
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The Warriors took at 25-18 lead, although unlikely scorers Perkins, Cunningham, and Smith kept the Pelicans within a respectable range.
Curry added more fireworks with a step-back by a Green screen over Davis and Golden State’s lead stretched to 32-20.
Later Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa checked in and Curry’s bedazzlement continued as the Warriors hit one of their patented frenzies.
The ball clanged around as Curry missed a three, Harrison Barnes missed a putback dunk, Barbosa made a beautiful save to Iguodala on the sideline, and somehow Curry got the ball in the left corner against a switched Alexis Ajinca.
Curry drove right by him and juked a behind-the-back pass, driving all the way to the hoop for an easy layup:
Steph Curry is using magnets or the force or something. https://t.co/srRsK4NUfw
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) October 28, 2015
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The Warriors were only up 34-23, but it certainly felt like a lot more.
Festus Ezeli came in and got an and-one thanks to a nice inside feed from Barbosa, but Smith got a layup, then a triple, and the Pelicans were back to within five, 37-32, with just 51.1 seconds to go in the first frame.
Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton used a timeout and out of the timeout, Iguodala found Curry for a layup down the right side, using his body to shield Smith.
It was Curry’s 23rd and 24th points of the quarter.
But somehow the Pelicans didn’t go away as Davis drew a foul on James McAdoo and Smith made another jumper.
Curry’s wizardry was breathtaking, but the Warriors held just a 39-35 lead heading into the 2nd quarter.
2nd Quarter
Without any starters to being the second frame, the Warriors’ second unit threw up an early goose egg, with Ezeli’s badly missed turnaround the only attempt as Barbosa and Marreese Speights turned the ball over.
After Alonzo Gee made a layup, Eric Gordon went past the Warriors defense for another layup and the game was tied at 39-39.
Walton reinserted Thompson and Klay got an immediate drive for two, but the Warriors as a whole still had trouble with their offense.
Their defense wasn’t much better as Cunningham hit an open jumper then after Thompson committed a turnover, Klay compounded it with a touch foul for an and-one down low for Cunningham.
Walton put Barnes, Green, and Curry back in for Iguodala, Ezeli and Thompson, respectively, as Cunningham’s free throw put the Pelicans up, 44-43.
Finally, after more than two-and-a-half minutes without scoring a bucket, Curry found Bogut for an alley-oop.
Davis turned the ball over again with the ball, taking too many steps in the paint with his back to the basket, and Green got a three-pointer to drop over him.
Curry added an and-one with a fake and baiting contact after he offensive-boarded a Green heat-check from deep.
Curry then fought through the forest of Pelicans defense for a catch-and-assist with his back initially turned to the cutting Bogut, who scored easily at the rim.
Meanwhile the Warriors defense held solid, although Green picked up a technical arguing a ticky-tack call against the physical Perkins. Soon enough, Golden State had built a 55-44 lead with 2:44 to go.
After misses from deep by Barbosa and Curry in the waning moments, Barnes rebounded a missed free throw by Davis and drove the hole and converted with 0.8 seconds remaining, giving the Warriors a 59-49 lead at halftime.
Curry led all scorers with 29 points on 11-for-18 field, 4-for-10 downtown, and still 6 assists. Bogut was a perfect 5-for-5 at the rim for 10 points and Barnes had a quiet 8 rebounds.
The Pelicans were led by Cunningham’s 13 points and Smith’s 10. Davis had only 6 points and was 1-for-9 field, 4-for-9 from the free throw line.
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @psclavos)
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