NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The Pelicans came in with high hopes, trying to prevent a sweep and win one more game at home, but Stephen Curry and company once again proved to be too much for the team to handle.
Game 3 Pelicans vs Warriors: What happened in the last minute?
The Pelicans season ended Saturday tonight after a 109-98 loss to the number one seeded Golden State Warriors. The game was controlled almost entirely by Golden State, scoring 31 points in the first quarter, and finding themselves ahead of the Pelicans 67-54 at halftime. A good chunk of all the scoring was done by four players in the first half, as Steph Curry and Klay Thompson both had 20 points at half for the Warriors, while Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon had 19 each for the Pels.
The Warriors would come out of the second half gate on fire. In the third quarter, the Warriors had a 16-2 run, pumping the lead up to 21 points by the end of the period. The Pelicans tried to keep things interesting late, starting the 4th quarter with a 9-0 run over the Warriors and cutting the lead to under 10 points later on. However some late game defensive struggles held the comeback short, and with the help of some ridiculous shots from Stephen Curry the Warriors ultimately pulled away.
Anthony Davis finished the game with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Eric Gordon had a great game as well, scoring 29 points on 48% shooting. For Golden State, Stephen Curry had a game-high 39 points, Klay Thompson had 25, and Draymond Green scored 22.
Despite getting swept the Pelicans should not feel discouraged from this series. The Warriors had the NBA’s best record in the regular season and are widely considered the best team in the league. The Pelicans stayed stride for stride with the Warriors throughout the series and showed that they have the potential to become a threat in the Western Conference.
The team looks forward to next season with all of their young key pieces remaining under contract, including Anthony Davis (22), Jrue Holiday (24) , Tyreke Evans (25), Eric Gordon (26) and Ryan Anderson (26). While Omer Asik is most likely to be on a different team come next season, the Pelicans should definitely look into locking up backup point guard and key contributor Norris Cole, as well as signing some more pieces to put around superstar Anthony Davis this offseason. This playoff series provides some much needed experience for the team, and there is nothing but a bright future ahead.
