OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Stephen Curry scored 34 points with an MVP-worthy performance, and the Golden State Warriors went up big before holding off the New Orleans Pelicans 106-99 in their playoff opener Saturday.
Klay Thompson added 21 points, and Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut dominated down low as the Warriors looked every bit like the NBA’s top seed – at least for three quarters. They smothered Anthony Davis and the Pelicans with the league’s best defense, thrilling a gold shirt-wearing sellout crowd of 19,596 that rocked and roared all afternoon.
The Warriors led by 15 after the first quarter, 18 at the half and 25 late in the third. The Pelicans pulled within four in the final minute behind Davis, who scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, to make the contest seem closer than it really was.
Game 2 of the series is Monday night in Oakland, where the Warriors have won 19 straight.
Davis shot 13 of 23 from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds in his playoff debut. Quincy Pondexter scored 20 points and Eric Gordon added 16 for the Pelicans, who shot 42.2 percent.