Pelicans Crush Short-Handed Warriors in Zion's Return
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NEW ORLEANS, LA - New Orleans dominated in all phases against Golden State from wire-to-wire for a 128-83 home victory.
Nov 21, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against \Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
The Pelicans were intent on not repeating the same mistakes in their Nov. 4 win over the Warriors. The visitors hung around late before the Pelicans pulled away in the 4th quarter.
Steve Kerr decided to rest Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. Without those key members on the court for the defending champs, the New Orleans jumped out early on the depleted Warriors.
After the 1st quarter, the Pels established a 19-point lead, which ballooned by halftime.
Brandon Ingram led with 34 points in 30 minutes of action. With a big lead, Green inserted center Jonas Valanciunas as the only starter who played in the 4th quarter.
Zion Williamson finished with 9 points in 23 minutes after missing three games with a right foot contusion.
7th in the NBA, the New Orleans bench had a monster performance with 57 points. Their depth contributed with rebounding, assists, and points in the paint to extend the lead by 45 points, their largest lead of the season. Every player who logged minutes for the Pels scored a bucket and had the fans cheering the entire game.
Jordan Poole led Golden State with 26, shooting 9 of 18 from the floor. The Warriors committed a season-high 27 turnovers allowing the Pelicans to convert them into 31 points on the scoreboard. The defending champions only have one road win this season and dropped to 8-10.
New Orleans ended their six-game home stand with a 4-2 record.
The Pelicans will visit San Antonio on Wednesday, Nov. 23, and the Grizzlies Friday, Nov. 25, the next two games. The Memphis trip will be the first regular-season match since last season's Play-In Tournament.
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