New Orleans Pelicans Prove They Belong With Blowout Win Over Warriors
Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans were in major need of winning Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors in order to stay alive in the series. After being handled by the Warriors in the first two games of the series on the road, the Pelicans were already being written off by the majority of the media.
Not only did the Pelicans win Game 3, they ended up beating the Warriors by a final score of 119-100.
That game proved that the Pelicans belong in this series. It proves that they are more than capable of competing in this series. New Orleans is still being viewed as a team that doesn’t stand a chance in the series, but they could turn heads quickly with a second straight victory in Game 4.
Davis led the way for the Pelicans with 33 points on 15-of-27 shooting, while also grabbing 18 rebounds. He received a lot of help from star point guard Jrue Holiday, who scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists. Nikola Mirotic continued his strong play for the Pelicans with 16 points and 13 rebounds on the night.
In addition to those three players, the Pelicans saw Ian Clark come off the bench to score 18. Rounding out the double-digit scorers for New Orleans was E’Twaun Moore, who scored 13 points.
Golden State, on the other hand, was led by star shooting guard Klay Thompson with 26 points. Stephen Curry returned to the starting lineup with 19 points, although he only made six of his 19 attempts from the floor. Kevin Durant also struggled from the field, scoring 22 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
AD and the Pelicans had a surprise for the Warriors! pic.twitter.com/QCUAF5Fk8K
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 5, 2018
New Orleans jumped on the Warriors from the start of the game, leading the game 30-21 at the end of the first quarter. They started the second half strong as well, outscoring the Warriors 30-19 and they never looked back.
Alvin Gentry knows the Pelicans are in for the fight of their life in Game 4. Golden State is going to come looking to draw more blood and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
“Game 4 will be the toughest game we’ve ever had.”
Needless to say, Game 4 is going to be must-watch television for basketball fans. If New Orleans can find a way to even the series, all the pressure will end up falling back on the Warriors.
Davis and the Pelicans may not end up winning this series, but they certainly are proving that they should be taken seriously as contenders.
