THE BIG EASY
Without Curry, Warriors ride other All-Stars to blowout win
OAKLAND >> The changes seemed evident in everything about the Warriors’ identity. They featured an unconventional starting lineup. They adapted seamlessly to a new playoff opponent that boasts more depth and plays at a faster pace. And their stars all exerted their best qualities all at once.
The Warriors coasted to a 123-101 Game 1 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday at Oracle Arena. And it did not seem to matter one bit that Stephen Curry sat as he finalized the rehab on his left MCL knee sprain that has kept him out since March 23.
No need for the Warriors to rush Curry back for Game 2 on Tuesday at Oracle Arena when they offered one of their most dominant performances of the season at just the right time. Klay Thompson maintained his offensive efficiency (27 points on 10-of-22 shooting and
4 of 9 from 3-point range). So did Kevin Durant, who had 26 points while going 10-of-21 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. And Warriors guard Draymond Green stuffed the box score with his fourth career postseason triple-double (16 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists) and full intensity no stat sheet could ever fully capture.
“Steph is great and a two-time MVP. But guys, they’re still pretty doggone good without him,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said beforehand. “They’ve already proven that.”
The Warriors had proven that with a 9-2 record when Curry missed 11 games when he initially sprained his right ankle in December. The Warriors had proven that when they eliminated the San Antonio Spurs in five games in their first-round playoff series. And the Warriors had proven that on Saturday when their three healthy All-Stars all played like superstars.
Durant had 12 points in the first quarter alone. Green was only two assists shy of his triple double by halftime. And in the second quarter alone, Thompson had 13 points while going 4 of 6 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
These contributions all seemed familiar, but it came in a different context.
With Andre Iguodala
starting at point guard to run the offense and Nick Young started at small forward to space the floor, Thompson had even more room to make shots with ease. Green started at center, and his presence still ignited the Warriors’ intensity despite having no answer for Pelicans center Anthony Davis (21 points on 9-of-20 shooting). Durant started at power forward both to help on Durant and Nikola Mirotic (nine points on 3-of-9 shooting), while also operating in the post.
“It just means I have to guard Anthony Davis a little bit more, hold the fort down, protect the rim and try to rebound the basketball,” Green said. “But nothing I haven’t done before.”
The most notable example: Thompson made a corner 3-pointer that both gave the Warriors a 76-48 lead with 49.8 seconds left in the second quarter and prompted the entire Warriors bench to stand up in excitement. When Thompson ran back on defense, his teammates embraced and nearly stumbled into him.
It only seemed fitting Thompson would shoot this way after averaging 22.6 points on 52.9 percent shooting in the Warriors’ first-round series against San Antonio.
“This is what Klay is — he hits hard shots, hits transition threes and moves incredibly well without the ball,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s in the prime of his career emotionally too where he’s got the ultimate confidence. When you’ve won championships
and performed at a high level in the playoffs and the Finals, you get used to that and you expect that.”
Still, the Warriors expected the Pelicans to boast some challenges. They feared Davis’ inside presence, Mirotic’s shooting, Rajon Rondo’s passing (11 assists) and Jrue Holiday’s playmaking (11 points on 4-of-14 shooting). The Warriors expected to play at a faster pace against a Pelicans team that averaged a league-leading 114.5 points per game and swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
“We always want to play fast too. But there’s always a balance,” Kerr said. “We don’t want to play dumb. Fast and smart is the way to go. You have to find that balance. Fast is great, but fast and fundamentally sound is the name of the game.”
Dominant is also the name of the Warriors’ game. So much that neither Durant nor Green played in the fourth quarter.
Nothing epitomized the Warriors’ dominance more than in the second quarter when the Warriors soon broke a 39-39 tie at the 10:51 mark for a 76-55 half-time lead. While the Warriors scored 41 points on 13-of20 shooting, the Pelicans had only 21 points on a 7-of23 clip. While Golden State went 11 of 14 from freethrow line, New Orleans had a 4-of-4 mark. The Warriors also dominated the Pelicans in rebounding (14-10), while forcing five turnovers and committing only one.
“How could I not enjoy that?” Kerr said. “That was an amazing run.”
The Pelicans could not stop it.
“You still have to play at an extremely high level to be able to win a game when (Curry’s]) not in the game,” Gentry said.