https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Warriors-bench-puts-up-a-fight-vs-Pelicans-17560327.php

NEW ORLEANS — Playing without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins Friday night, most figured a healthy Pelicans team would make quick work of the shorthanded Golden State Warriors.

Despite a 114-105 loss, dropping the Warriors to 0-5 on their East Coast trip and 3-7 overall this season, Steve Kerr ’s team played hard at both ends of the court and kept the game competitive deep into the fourth quarter. Kerr wanted to see some fight from his reserves and that’s what he got. Perhaps that’s the only silver lining for the team on their five-game losing streak.

“We have to figure it out,” second-year guard Moses Moody said. “We have to stay even-keeled. When we’re going good, when everything is going good, don’t get too high. When everything is going bad, don’t get too low. We just have to keep that mentality and stay together.”

Without their usual host of offensive stars, Golden State was paced by Jordan Poole (20 points) and Jonathan Kuminga (18 points). Kuminga played a career-high 38 minutes. Although Kuminga was slow at times processing things offensively early, he picked it up as the game matured with strong drives to the rim, timely cuts around the basket and showcased good touch from mid-range while playing solid defense.

Kuminga knocked down his first 3-pointer of the season, and finally threw down a highlight dunk reminiscent of what was seemingly a nightly occurrence during his rookie campaign last season. Kerr was satisfied with Kuminga’s performance, telling reporters after the game that he’s “earned some minutes” going forward.

“It felt good just to be out there,” Kuminga said.

Poole continues to struggle with his efficiency. He shot just 5-of-18 from the field against the Pelicans and is shooting 12-of-40 (30%) over his last three games after scoring a season-high 30 points in Sunday’s loss to the Pistons in Detroit.

“I think Jordan is trying too hard to create every play,” Kerr said. “He’s at his best when there’s a flow to his game and he plays on and off the ball, he’s getting some catch-and-shoot opportunities.... We have to soften up the defense by moving the ball and getting better rhythm to our offense.”

Four of five Warriors starters finished in double figures, Moody (14 points) and Anthony Lamb (16) included. Ty Jerome chipped in 18 points, six rebounds and five assists from the bench.

“For the most part I think we did a good job moving the ball,” Jerome said. “Guys stepped up. Anthony Lamb made a bunch of big shots. JK was great. Everyone stepped up and played well. We just came up a little bit short.”

Golden State still allowed New Orleans to shoot 50.6% from the field and 41..4% from 3-point range, but they did a better job guarding without fouling, as they allowed 29 free-throw attempts to the Pelicans compared to the 46 attempts they surrendered to Orlando on Thursday night.

“Better at times, and then we had some spells,” Kerr said. “We did a really good job the first nine minutes in the first quarter and then for whatever reason started fouling again at the end of the first. 29 free throws, that number ideally would be 22, 24. So we’re still above where we’d like to be, but it’s a work in progress.”

The game was ultimately lost by 22 turnovers, which led to 36 points for the Pelicans. But even in defeat, the Warriors’ performance on Friday night gave Kerr better clarity into what his rotations may look like when Curry, Thompson, Green and Wiggins return to the lineup.

“I think next week will be a great opportunity for us to get a lot of work in, execution-wise, at both ends and work on our rotations,” he said. “We’re going to change up rotations a little bit and I’ve got an idea of what I’m going to do. But the staff will talk about it in the next couple of days and we’ll solidify that. This should be a good week for us to get back on track.”

Ready to play: If there’s one player who greatly bolstered his bench stock in Friday’s loss, it was Lamb, a surprise starter.

“Oh yeah, it was definitely a surprise,” Lamb said. “I was grateful, and it gave me another level of focus going into the game today.”

Lamb signed with the Warriors in October and had his training camp deal converted into a two-way contract after the team’s preseason finale. Until Friday, there hadn’t been a ton of evidence to support his value to the Warriors.

Golden State’s decision to waive Quinndary Weatherspoon in favor of Lamb was puzzling to most. But after Lamb got extended minutes, it makes a little more sense. He possesses the versatility at the forward position that the Warriors covet.

“Anthony Lamb can play,” Kerr said. “He fits our style really well.... He sets good screens. He dives. He understands spacing, shoots the 3 really well. We saw that in practice and I wanted to give him a look tonight.”

Lamb just did a lot of the little things well, like running the floor hard in transition and hustling for loose balls. The ball didn’t stick in his hands and he did a solid job running the offense and getting others involved.

At times it seemed as if he were all over the court defensively. He showed off his range by knocking down 4-of-6 attempts from deep, which tied a career high. Golden State was plus-6 with Lamb on the court.

“I’m not going to play like Steph Curry or Klay Thompson, but I can do the best I can playing like me,” Lamb said. “I think if everyone can do that and find how we play together, that’s going to make our second lineup not have any dropoff anymore.”