Leading the series 2-0, the Warriors will try to take their success on the road when they travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans in Game 3 on Friday night.
Warriors at PelicansGame 3Friday, May 45:00 p.m.Smoothie King CenterNew Orleans, LA
WATCH: ESPN
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Mobile App and Warriors Radio Network
THE BIG EASY
Leading the series 2-0, the Warriors travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans in the next two games of the series, beginning with Game 3 on Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (Pacific). Watch the action on ESPN, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game, the Warriors Mobile App and the Warriors Radio Network.
LAST TIME OUT Stephen Curry scored 28 points in 27 minutes in his first game back from injury, leading the Dubs to a 121-116 victory over the Pelicans in Game 2 on Tuesday. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
LAST GAME'S STARTERS
GSW: Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Nick Young, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green
NOP: Rajon Rondo, Jrue Holiday, E'Twaun Moore, Nikola Mirotic and Anthony Davis
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Team Notes
NOP: Team Notes
THE CURRY EFFECT
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Warriors are a better team when Stephen Curry is healthy, but to see just how much better, look no further than Tuesday night. Playing his first game in nearly six weeks, Curry found his groove almost immediately and finished with 28 points in 27 minutes. But beyond his points total, the Warriors were simply dominant while the two-time MVP was on the court, as advertised by his game-best plus-27 mark; nobody else on the team was better than plus-seven. Golden State averaged 130.0 points per 100 possessions while Curry was on the court, compared to 72.7 while he was off. For reference, the Warriors led the NBA during the regular season with an offensive rating of 112.3 points per 100 possessions. Golden State would have had a much tougher time winning Game 2 if not for Curry’s heroics in his return, and if he can remain that effective moving forward, it would significantly improve the chances of the Dubs stealing at least one game on the road as the series transitions to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4.
TEAM PLAYOFF LEADERS
IN THE PAINT
Game 2 proved to be far more competitive than Game 1, and the Pelicans’ relative dominance in the paint was a big reason why. After barely outscoring Golden State in the paint by a slim margin of 50-48 in Game 1, New Orleans got a far better result in Game 2, where they made 33-of-54 shots in the paint for a total of 66 points, compared to just 38 paint points for the Warriors on 19-of-31 shooting. Golden State proved better at defending the paint in the second half than they did in the first, but nonetheless, it’s an area of concern for the Dubs heading into Game 3 on Friday. One would assume New Orleans will see an uptick in their free throw rate at home after totaling just 18 attempts from the charity stripe through the first two games, and if they’re able to have similar success scoring in the paint, it could prove to be a long night for the Warriors, particularly in what should be a raucous environment.