Pelicans power past Warriors

LOS ANGELES: The New Orleans Pelicans, energised by a return to their home court, dominated the reigning champion Golden State Warriors in a 119-100 NBA playoff win on Friday as Houston reasserted themselves against the Utah Jazz.

The Pelicans outscored Golden State 54-36 in the paint and drained 14 three-pointers as they whittled the deficit to 2-1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference series.

The Pelicans will have a chance to even things up when they host game four today.

“We just did what we were supposed to do,” Davis said. “Of course it was a big game for us. We didn’t want to go down 0-3. But we got our big one tonight.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr wasn’t surprised to see the Pelicans respond after dropping the first two games in Oakland.

“On their home floor, down 2-0, this is what you expect,” Kerr said of the intensity the Pelicans displayed from the opening tip-off.

“Their defense was great. They were the aggressors. I thought they brought the necessary force to the game on their home floor.”

Warriors star Stephen Curry, back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench in his return from a knee injury in game two, mustered only three points in the opening quarter, when sharp-shooter Klay Thompson was held scoreless.

Thompson scored 20 of his 26 points in the second quarter, but finished making just nine of his 22 attempts from the field.

Kevin Durant added 22 points and Curry finished with 19 points on six-of-19 shooting for the Warriors.

“Game two is always the hardest when you come back from injury,” Kerr said of Curry’s struggles.“He didn’t look as sharp with his movement. Obviously he didn’t make his shots, but more than that it was just about the energy, the legs. But that’ll come.”

Western conference top seeds Houston, stung by a game-two defeat on their home floor, responded with a vengeance in Salt Lake City, where they thrashed the Utah Jazz 113-92.

Houston took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference series which continues today at Utah.