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 It was the type of team effort Monday night that produced a 67-win
regular season. And now it is has the Warriors two games up in the
first round of the playoffs.
Shooting guard Klay Thompson saved 12 of his 26 points for the final
6:39 of the game, and the Golden State defense held New Orleans
forward Anthony Davis without a field goal in the fourth quarter,
enabling the Warriors to earn a hard-fought, 97-87 victory over the
Pelicans in Game 2 of the teams' Western Conference opening-round
series.
"This game was much more indicative of our team than Game 1 was,"
said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, emphasizing the team effort. "I like
the box score."
With their 20th consecutive home win, the Warriors grabbed a 2-0
lead in the best-of-seven set, which moves to New Orleans for Games
3 and 4 on Thursday and Saturday.
The top-seeded Warriors, who dominated most of Game 1 en route to a
106-99 home win, led just 81-79 before Thompson hit a spinning
jumper in the key with 6:39 to go.
Thompson added 2- and 3-point jumpers on Golden State's next two
possessions, but the eighth-seeded Pelicans wouldn't go away,
pulling within 88-86 after a driving hoop by point guard Tyreke
Evans with 4:09 to go.
However, those were New Orleans' last points until 23.9 seconds
remained, by which time Golden State held an insurmountable, 97-86
lead.
"We know we're not going to shoot a high percentage every night,"
Thompson said. "Our defense carried us tonight. We have the best
defense in the NBA."
Thompson dropped in two more baskets during the game-clinching, 9-0
run, including a three-point play with 1:32 go to give the Warriors
a nine-point lead and shut the door on the Pelicans.
Equally important, Davis missed his final three shots over that
span, and his teammates misfired on three others while mixing in
three critical turnovers.
"We were being aggressive," said Davis, who made six free throws in
the fourth quarter but missed all five of his shots. "We made
aggressive plays, and the ball just went the other way. We missed
shots, and they made theirs."
Thompson was the high scorer for the Warriors, who hold a 2-0 lead
in a playoff series for the first time since 1989. He connected on
11 of his 17 shots, including three of eight 3-point attempts.
Thompson logged only 32 1/2 minutes as Kerr watched his bench play a
key role in the comeback from an early 13-point deficit.
"It was fantastic ... the energy that we were able to expend and
limit what they could do," Kerr said of his ability to keep fresh
troops on the floor at all times. "They're a handful. Between Davis
and their 3-point shooters ... you've got to cover a lot of floor.
"We feel the identity of our team is our defense and our
versatility."
Thompson's backcourt mate, Stephen Curry, also bombed in three
3-pointers en route to 22 points. However, Curry shot just 9-for-21
from the field.
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Power forward Draymond Green had a 14-point, 12-rebound
double-double, and center Andrew Bogut snatched a game-high 14
boards as Golden State enjoyed a 49-42 advantage on the backboards.
Green (two) and Bogut (three) also combined for five of the team's
seven blocked shots.
Davis, who had a 35-point explosion in the Game 1 loss, scored a
team-high 26 points to complement 10 rebounds Monday.
He played 45 of the 48 minutes, but Pelicans coach Monty Williams
wouldn't use fatigue as an excuse for Davis' late failures.
"We've got the rest of the summer to rest," he said. "We're trying
to win games. He's our best player, and if I need to play him 48
minutes, I'll play him 48 minutes.
"Now, there are times where I may be able to get him out for a
couple of minutes and get him back in. But tonight wasn't one of
those nights."
Pelicans shooting guard Eric Gordon fired in five 3-pointers during
a 23-point effort, and Evans chipped in with 16 points to go with 10
rebounds and a game-high seven assists.
Center Omer Asik was the Pelicans' leading rebounder with 13.
NOTES: The Warriors improved to 42-0 this season when holding an
opponent under 100 points. ... Golden State reserves totaled 25
points after contributing only 12 points to the Game 1 win. ...
Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday (sore lower right leg) did not play, but
PG/SG Tyreke Evans (bruised left knee) received the green light
shortly before tipoff. ... Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that PF
David Lee, who missed the first two games of the series with a
strained lower back, would be re-evaluated during the two days off
between Games 2 and 3 and was a possibility for Thursday's game in
New Orleans. ... Warriors SF Andre Iguodala received seven
first-place votes out of 130 and finished fourth in the balloting
for NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Warriors C Marreese Speights placed
seventh, getting one first-place vote. No Pelican received a first-,
second- or third-place vote. ... At his pregame press conference,
Pelicans coach Monty Williams downplayed comments he made earlier in
the day about the Oracle Arena crowd being illegally loud, saying,
"It was more of a compliment than anything."
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