Yet another tough test awaits the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night in the Crescent City, with the Golden State Warriors paying a visit for a 7 p.m. game. One of the NBA’s most entertaining teams to watch, the up-tempo Warriors are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race and vying for first place in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden State – which put together a 10-game winning streak earlier in the season – will attempt to sweep the three-game season series from New Orleans. The Warriors escaped with a 102-101 road victory over the Pelicans on Nov. 26, when Eric Gordon’s three-point attempt from the left corner rimmed out at the buzzer. Ryan Anderson (21 points) and Jrue Holiday (17 points) topped New Orleans in scoring in that game, but both players are out indefinitely with injuries.
On Dec. 17 in Oakland, the Warriors won by a more comfortable margin, posting a 104-93 triumph. Golden State led by as many as 26 points before New Orleans rallied in the fourth quarter. Anderson again led the Pelicans by scoring 21 points, not far from where he starred in college at the University of California. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 28 points.
As a result of injuries to Anderson, Holiday and potent reserve Tyreke Evans, several Pelicans players have been afforded greater opportunities to play. Brian Roberts has started in place of Holiday at point guard, while center Alexis Ajinca, second-year forward Darius Miller and rookie center Jeff Withey have also seen their minutes increase. It’s imperative for New Orleans to receive larger contributions from virtually everywhere on its roster, because Anderson, Holiday and Evans all rank among the team’s top five scorers. Anthony Davis and Gordon are second and third, respectively, on the New Orleans scoring leaders.