Warriors dominate Pelicans as Durant leads way
NEW ORLEANS• Kevin Durant made his approach to taking over a pivotal NBA playoff game sound so simple — and look that way, too.
“I just try to tell myself that I’m at my best when I don’t care what happens after the game, the outcome or anything,” Durant said.
“That’s when I’m free and having fun out there and forceful. That was the thing — just try to play with force no matter if I missed shots or not, just keep shooting, keep being aggressive.”
Durant scored Golden State’s first two baskets on pull-up jumpers of 21 and 15 feet before 90 seconds had elapsed in Game 4 of the Warriors’ Western Conference semifinal series against New Orleans Sunday.
He finished with 38 points on 15-for-27 shooting to go with nine rebounds and Golden State soundly defeated the Pelicans 118-92 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead back to the West Coast.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry said it was apparent early that getting the ball to Durant would be wise.
“Just find ways to get him in scoring positions,” Curry said. “Sometimes that’s not really hard to do — just throw it to him.
“Just keep the game simple at that point because he’s such a great scorer; you don’t have to really overthink things.”
The Warriors lost by 19 in Game 3 Friday and the Pelicans were looking to even the series.
Instead, the Warriors responded with a resounding effort that produced a wire-to-wire win with leads as large as 26 points.
Curry scored 23, Klay Thompson added 13 and Quinn Cook, who was a Pelicans reserve earlier this season, contributed 12 points.
Anthony Davis had 26 points and 12 rebounds for New Orleans, but the Pelicans hit only 36 per cent (32 of 88) of their shots, missing 22 of 26 three-point attempts.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said Golden State’s defence “had a lot to do with” the Pelicans’ poor shooting.
“We didn’t have the looks we normally have,” he said.
“We pressed a little bit when we got behind.”
E’Twaun Moore scored 20 and Jrue Holiday 19, but New Orleans reserves combined for just 14 points after scoring 32 two nights earlier.
Rajon Rondo finished with 11 rebounds, but had only six assists after racking up 21 in Game 3.
The Pelicans also committed 19 turnovers, which led to 21 Warriors points.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Draymond Green had eight points, nine rebounds, nine assists, four steals and two blocks. With his fourth rebound, Green became the third player in Warriors history to reach 800 playoff rebounds. Wilt Chamberlain (922) and Nate Thurmond (896) are the only others. Pelicans: Davis committed six turnovers and Rondo four . ... Davis shot 10-for10 from the foul line . ... The Pelicans made 18 of 19 free throws in the first half, but finished 24-for-30 . ... Nikola Mirotic grabbed 11 rebounds, but missed six of seven shots to finish with seven points.