Curry scores 41 as Warriors zero in on playoff berth with win over Pelicans.
During the Warriors’ team meeting Monday morning, head coach Steve Kerr detailed what was at stake that night against the Pelicans: a chance to solidify Golden State’s spot in the playin tournament.
But even though Kerr liked how his players responded to his short speech, he didn’t know whether their urgency come tipoff would match the game’s significance, his team having looked lethargic in highstakes matchups far too often this season. By that measure, the Warriors showed progress as they opened inspired, weathered a couple of New Orleans rallies and left Smoothie King Center with a 123108 win.
“This was an important game for us, and we had to come out and play like it,” forward Andrew Wiggins said. “We didn’t want any letdowns.”
Golden State — eighth in the Western Conference standings at 3332 — is up four games on 11thplace New Orleans with just seven regularseason games left. The Warriors have struggled with consistency for fourplus months, but they’re on the brink of securing a spot in the playin tournament to com
pete for the seventh or eighth seed in the playoffs.
The teams that finish Nos. 710 in each conference will participate in the playin; those with the seventh and eighthbest winning percentages will have two chances to win one game and earn a playoff berth. Clubs with the ninth and 10thbest winning percentages must win two consecutive games to advance.
Had the Warriors lost Monday, they would’ve been at risk of tumbling out of the playin and seeing their season end as early as May 16. The two games they still have against the Pelicans — Tuesday in New Orleans and May 14 at Chase Center — are essentially worth double.
“It’s an easy year to be distracted,” Kerr said. “We’re all trying to keep our guys locked in and focused, but I do think it gets a little bit easier now that we’re in the stretch run. The playoffs are in our sights, and we’re right there. We just got to continue to stay locked in.”
Though Golden State committed 20 more fouls than the Pelicans and was outrebounded 135 on the offensive glass, it made timely shots. After seizing a 20point lead at the end of the first quarter, the Warriors let New Orleans cut the margin to six midway through the third, only for their three best players — Stephen Curry (41 points, eight assists), Draymond Green (10 points, 15 assists, 13 rebounds) and Wiggins (26 points) — to ensure a convincing win.
Curry continued to make a darkhorse push for MVP consideration, hitting eight 3pointers and eclipsing the 40point mark for the sixth time in his past 15 games.
Green made life difficult on forward Zion Williamson, who, despite finishing with 32 points, saw few open looks.
With Curry sitting early in the fourth quarter, Wiggins scored 10 quick points to help the Warriors maintain a doubledigit lead. Kerr later conceded that, even though Golden State endured some uneven stretches, it executed the game plan as well as it has all season.
It hasn’t always been so. With a chance to keep alive the hope of nabbing the sixth spot and avoiding the playin, the Warriors gave up a 280 run to the Mavericks last Tuesday on their way to a 30point loss. Two nights later, after Kerr professed that the “playoffs start now,” Golden State fell by 12 to the lotterybound Timberwolves.
Before pulling away in the second half for a convincing win Saturday over the leagueworst Rockets, the Warriors looked apathetic. This all left Kerr wondering: What more could he do to get his team to play up to the moment? Why weren’t his players answering his challenge?
Such concerns were eased — at least for one night — against the Pelicans. Along the way, the Warriors got a blueprint for a team they face twice in the next week and a half.
“It’s crunch time to put ourselves in the best position possible,” forward Juan ToscanoAnderson said. “As we continue to play games, every game becomes that much more important.”