Pelicans limp into showdown
Davis, who missed Warriors last time, has ankle sprain
OAKLAND — The Warriors, after a win against Atlanta that conjured up visions of the NBA Finals, will face a New Orleans team on Friday that they could very well see in the first round of the playoffs.
The Pelicans could come to Oracle Arena without star Anthony Davis available to play, as he missed Thursday’s game at Phoenix because of a left ankle sprain suffered earlier in the day.
New Orleans coach Monty Williams told reporters “it’s too soon to say” whether Davis would play against the Warriors. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, said he hasn’t seen Davis play much recently on television while focused on his own team but was well aware of Davis’ rise.
“I don’t need to see it,” Kerr said. “The guy has already shown that his talent is just otherworldly.”
The 6-foot-10 Davis entered Thursday’s game fourth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 24.6 points per game, and leads the league in shotblocking. His efforts have the Pelicans locked in a battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“He’s going to be a problem in the league for a long time and a big reason why they’re fighting for that eighth spot with all the injuries that they’ve had,” said Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who played with Davis on USA Basketball’s FIBA World Cup championship team.
“He’s already great, but that consistency factor and then what is his actual ceiling? Who knows?”
If Davis misses the game, it would be the second straight contest the Warriors would not have to go up against him. Davis was sidelined with a chest contusion for the Warriors’ 128-122 overtime win at New Orleans in December, but that didn’t prevent the game from getting physical.
Harrison Barnes suffered a broken nose that required a procedure to repair it and also needed stitches on a mouth laceration after being hit by the
“He’s going to be a problem in the league for a long time and a big reason why they’re fighting for that eighth spot with all the injuries that they’ve had.” — Stephen Curry, on Anthony Davis, above
Pelicans’ Dante Cunningham. Draymond Green also had a bloody nose after coming into contact with Cunningham.
“I definitely can’t wait to get with it,” said Barnes, who laughed at having to wear a mask for two weeks to protect his nose.
“The mask is in the back just in case Dante Cunningham wants to break my nose again. I still have it. It’s on standby.”
Kerr said his team submitted video of the plays he called “cheap shots” involving Cunningham to the league office, but the player was not disciplined.
“I don’t like playing that game of calling the league, kind of whining about what happened in the game,” Williams told The Times- Picayune after Kerr’s comments.
“If I have an issue with a coach or something happens in the game, I go talk to that coach. I didn’t think it was malicious. Dante doesn’t play that way.”
Kerr on Thursday said he thought the plays “were suspect” but that they can happen in the heat of competition.
“We all have to protect our players, whatever that means,” Kerr said. “I was protecting Harrison.
“I love Monty. He’s great. We’ve known each other for a long time.”
The Pelicans come to town at a time when some teams have begun to defend Curry in a more physical fashion. With Klay Thompson missing the game because of a sprained right ankle, the Hawks were aggressive in trapping the point guard.
“I do think teams are trying to be more and more physical with him, and I think teams are putting two hands on him quite a bit as he’s penetrating,” Kerr said. “That’s a pretty big rule in our league now. You can’t put two hands on a guy.
“So I think teams are trying to be more physical, trying to grab him and hold him a little bit. I just try to remind the refs during the game that that’s happening.”