Warriors dismantle Pelicans for third straight double-digit win
Golden State improved to 7-1 behind one of its cleanest efforts of the
season and a barrage of 3s in the 1st quarter
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – NOV. 4: Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins
(22) looks to pass against the New Orleans Pelicans’ Garrett Temple (44)
in the first quarter, Friday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – NOV. 4: Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins
(22) looks to pass against the New Orleans Pelicans’ Garrett Temple (44)
in the first quarter, Friday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
By EVAN WEBECK | ewebeck@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 5, 2021 at 9:26 p.m. | UPDATED: November 5, 2021 at
11:41 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/11/05/warriors-dismantle-pelicans-for-third-straight-double-digit-win/

SAN FRANCISCO — When it appeared the Warriors would live and die by the
long ball Friday night against New Orleans, it turned out to be smoke
and mirrors. The numbers coach Steve Kerr and company will point to are
36 and 12, as in the team’s second-best assist-to-turnover ratio of the
season.

The Warriors were able to retain and even build on a lead after their
3-pointers stopped falling, dismantling the 1-9 Pelicans, 126-85, to
improve to 7-1 in their third straight double-digit victory, nearly
doubling their previous largest winning margin.

“That’s the goal: 12 turnovers,” Kerr said afterward. “Tonight felt like
the game, just, we kept it simple. The only stretch we had where it
didn’t feel great was our defense early on and that late second quarter
drought. … All in all, I just felt like everybody kept making the simple
play, and that was crucial.”

Golden State put the game away with a dominant third quarter that turned
a four-point halftime margin into 22 heading into the final period. The
quarter was highlighted by a 13-2 stretch in the middle, bookended by a
pair of Jordan Poole 3 pointers. The Warriors assisted on all five
baskets, including four from Draymond Green. But it was Andre Iguodala
who led the team with 10 of 36 total dimes.

>Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) returns to the bench
wearing fake binoculars after he found Gary Payton II for an assist in
the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans, Friday, Nov. 4,
2021, at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area
News Group)

Poole led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including
6-of-9 from 3, followed by 19 from Curry, 12 of which came on four long
balls in the first quarter. But the Warriors’ bench backed up the two
starters with 57 points, led by 17 from Gary Payton II in his second
straight double-digit scoring effort.

More importantly, the Warriors’ 12 turnovers were their second-fewest of
the young season.

After starting their two-week homestand with an overtime loss to
Memphis, the Warriors have followed it up with wins of 21, 22 and 41
against Oklahoma City, Charlotte and, on Friday, New Orleans, teams with
a combined winning percentage of .307.

The 3 ball was flying early on. Golden State was launching long balls
with abandon, and almost half were going in.

The Warriors built a first-half lead as large as 15 points while
connecting on 10 of their first 21 attempts from distance. But the
Warriors clanked their next 10 shots from deep and allowed New Orleans
to climb within 54-50 by halftime, despite the Pelicans’ 1-8 record and
star Zion Williamson out with a fractured foot.

Their eight first-quarter 3-pointers were their third-most in a quarter
this season, topped only by a 9-of-15 shooting performance in the second
quarter vs. Charlotte and 9-of-13 in Curry’s 25-point first-quarter
earlier this season.

The Warriors connected on 10 of 19 shots from distance in the second
half to finish the game 40%.

>State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (0) dunks in the third quarter against
the New Orleans Pelicans, Friday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Curry had the hot hand early Friday night, too, though not quite to the
tune of 25 again.

However, it was enough for Kerr to abandon a planned shakeup in Curry’s
substitution pattern.

[video: Curry reflects on the retirement of fellow Bay Are...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVetVuBMDDs]

The Warriors have been attempting to find their star some extra rest
time during the opening period. Kerr said that was the plan again
Friday, but that, “If he’s smoking and he’s made six shots in a row, I’m
not taking him out.”

Four for his first six must have been good enough. Unfortunately for
Golden State, Curry was infected by the team-wide cold spell and missed
his next six attempts from the field. The Warriors came up empty on 13
straight attempts from during a stretch from the middle of the second
quarter to early in the third.

Later in the third quarter, Curry couldn’t help but shimmy as the ball
trickled out of bounds behind him.

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He swatted Josh Hart only a minute after rejecting Devonte Graham on a
drive to the rim, earning two blocks in the opening moments of the
second half. It was the 28th time Curry has recorded two rejections in a
game, tying his career high.

Before the game, Kerr touted Curry’s “underrated” defense, especially
taking on tougher backcourt assignments without Klay Thompson there to
match up on opponents’ point guards.

“I think Steph’s been great defensively,” Kerr said. “People are sort of
quick to just say he’s not a good defender without watching the tape.
Steph’s a really good defender.

>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – NOV. 4: Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole
(3) scores over the New Orleans Pelicans’ Josh Hart (3) in the first
quarter, Friday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif.
(Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – NOV. 4: Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II
(0) challenges the New Orleans Pelicans’ Josh Hart (3) in the third
quarter, Friday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif.
(Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – NOV. 4: Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II
(0) dunks in the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans, Friday,
Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay
Area News Group)

>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – NOV. 4: Golden State Warriors’ Otto Porter Jr.
(32) reacts after scoring on an offensive rebound against the New
Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter, Friday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – NOV. 4: Golden State Warriors’ Damion Lee (1)
and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Josh Hart (3) battle for a ball going into
the crowd in the second quarter, Friday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Chase Center
in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

--
Evan Webeck | Reporter
Evan Webeck covers high-school sports on the field and beyond — and a
little bit of everything else — for the Bay Area News Group. A Pacific
Northwest native and graduate of Arizona State, Evan has previously
worked for The Seattle Times, MLB.com and Sports Illustrated.