SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors fans have had a lot to cheer about lately, and the good vibes only continued Monday night at Chase Center.
With three minutes left in the third quarter, the Warriors led by 40 points en route to a 51-point, 138-87 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans for their eighth straight victory to complete a six-game undefeated homestand.
The Warriors are now the first team in NBA history to start a season 0-3 and then win eight straight games.
Steph Curry (25 points), Brandin Podziemski (25 points) and Yaxel Lendeborg (23) all scored 20-plus points on a combined 61.5 percent shooting (24 of 39).
Golden State’s bench also continues to be a bright spot. De’Anthony Melton led the way for the reserves with 16 points, and the bench outscored the Pelicans 60-41.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ eighth straight victory.
Taking care of business
For the second straight game, the Warriors got off to a hot start after notoriously slow opening games to start the season. Steve Kerr used 10 players and six scored at least four points in the first quarter. Their defense also limited the Pelicans to just 20 points on 30.4% shooting (7 of 23).
What Kerr will like most is that his team took great care of the ball to set the tone as well. The Warriors in the first quarter had 10 assists and only one turnover. The difference between Monday night and Saturday is that the Warriors’ fast start wasn’t in vain this time.
A 16-point halftime lead was erased this weekend against the Orlando Magic due to the Warriors’ carelessness with the ball and crashing the glass, leading to a huge gap in shot attempts. The Warriors rallied for a comeback victory, but there was a lot to clean up.
It was a different story two nights later against the Pelicans. Through three quarters, the Warriors had 29 assists and five turnovers. They finished with 11 turnovers to just nine Pelicans points.
No curry burst needed
Curry’s 44 points were needed to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ditto with his 31 points to beat the Los Angeles Lakers, his 34 points to beat the Phoenix Suns and his 41 points to survive the Magic in overtime. Heroics were not needed against New Orleans.
In just 20 minutes, Curry scored 25 points on 6 of 10 shooting, going 4 of 7 from three and 9 of 9 on free throws.
Curry came into Monday night averaging an absurd 31.3 points per game for an average of 29.6 minutes. Only Wilt Chamberlain averaged more points than minutes in a season. The efficiency Curry showed at age 38 in his 18th season is out of this world.
Luckily for Curry and the Warriors, he was able to sit back and watch the show before a massive five-game road trip. It only took more than 11 minutes for the Warriors to build a 29-point halftime lead and sat for good halfway through the third quarter.
The Warriors open with games against the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, and they’ll need Curry to be as healthy and rested as possible to keep their winning streak alive.
Two-way contractual contributions
A bigger spotlight will be placed on the performances of Curry, Podziemski, Lendeborg and others like Melton, but the bottom of the list deserves recognition when given opportunities.
This includes all three Warriors players on two-way contracts. LJ Cryer came on during the second quarter and scored 10 points on 4 of 9 shooting. His 3-point shooting can still be a weapon, and it might also be needed more soon.
Brandon Williams left the game early with a left hamstring injury and is scheduled for an MRI.
He’s not the only one worrying the Warriors when it comes to injuries. Will Richard appeared on the injury report with a torn UCL in his left thumb. Her next steps will depend on the swelling. Richard will have surgery or play with a splint.
Without him, the Warriors could rely more on Malevy Leon. The Leons started the fourth quarter scoreless, but grabbed three rebounds and blocked a shot. Graham Ike also started the fourth for the Leons two nights after a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double in the Santa Cruz Warriors’ season opener. Ike added four points, five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.
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