Stephen Curry delivered a stellar performance, scoring 42 points in just 30 minutes, as the Golden State Warriors extended their unbeaten road record with a dominant 130-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
Chris Paul made a significant impact off the bench, spearheading a 13-1 run at the end of the third quarter, propelling the Warriors to a commanding 98-78 lead.
Zion Williamson initially kept the Pelicans in the game during the first half, but he encountered foul trouble in the third quarter and finished with 19 points. This loss marked the Pelicans’ first of the season after opening with two victories.
Curry’s return to New Orleans was eagerly anticipated, as he had been absent for more than two years due to injuries and scheduled nights off during the previous season. When introduced as a starter, he received an enthusiastic ovation. He wasted no time, scoring 11 points in the first 4 minutes and 2 seconds, including a pair of 25-foot 3-pointers.
Curry drained seven 3-pointers on 13 attempts, shooting 15 of 22 from the field and making 5 of 7 free throws. His sixth 3-pointer from 29 feet drew gasps of amazement from the crowd, and he followed it up with an off-balance rainbow shot from the baseline near the left corner that elicited a similar reaction.
Curry’s signature moment came with a 31-footer that extended the lead to 120-92 with 4:39 left. After this shot, he celebrated by crouching at midcourt and pounding his chest before being subbed out for the remainder of the game.
In contrast, Williamson encountered foul trouble in the third quarter, earning his third foul by colliding with Draymond Green on the offensive end and then picking up his fourth foul while attempting to disrupt a lob intended for Andrew Wiggins.
CJ McCollum contributed 19 points for the Pelicans, and rookie Jordan Hawkins, a first-round draft pick from the University of Connecticut, scored 12 points.
Both teams were without one of their top scorers, with Golden State’s Klay Thompson and the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram ruled out before the game due to right knee soreness.
Chris Paul, a former New Orleans first-round draft pick from 2005, continued to come off the bench for a second consecutive night, even with Thompson unavailable. Instead, coach Steve Kerr gave Moses Moody his 15th career start, and he contributed 13 points.
Up next:
Warriors: Host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday before embarking on a four-game road trip.
Pelicans: Visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday for the first of two consecutive games, with the second game at home against the Detroit Pistons.
