Durant’s scores 38, Warriors down Pelicans for 3-1 lead
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 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 a minute-and-a-half had elapsed in Game 4 of the Warriors’ Western Conference semifinal series against New Orleans on Sunday. He finished with 38 points on 15-of-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 percent (32 of 88) of their shots, missing 22 of 26 3-point attempts.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said Golden State’s defense “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 21 Warriors points.
“We missed a lot of easy shots, a couple game-plan discipline mistakes early on and they came out on fire,” Davis said. “We just can’t afford to shoot that poorly.
“But we’ve got another one,” Davis added. “Any time we’ve been punched in the mouth, we’ve always responded very well.”
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.
After shooting poorly Friday night, the Warriors were eager to regain their rhythm and did so immediately. They hit six of their first eight shots, with Durant making his first three.
“He was attacking tonight right from the beginning and he was brilliant,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He found better spots on the floor with his aggression and created easier shots for himself.”
Thompson and Curry each added early 3-pointers. That, and solid defense that included Green’s block of Rondo’s layup, helped Golden State open a 10-point lead in the first four minutes.
The Pelicans missed eight of their first 10 shots and trailed 20-6 after Green made Golden State’s fourth 3-pointer. New Orleans slowly ground its deficit down to seven by halftime — only to botch the opening of the third quarter.
The series returns to Oakland, Calif., tonight for Game 5.