The Golden State Warriors were dealt a harsh defeat by the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, falling 141-105 at Chase Center. The Warriors were without their star trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, who are all close to reaching 400 career wins together. The Pelicans, meanwhile, snapped a five-game losing streak with a dominant performance led by Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum.
The Warriors started strong, taking an early 10-point lead in the first quarter behind Curry’s 10 points and Thompson’s 8 points. However, they could not sustain their momentum and saw their lead dwindle to just one point at halftime. The third quarter was even worse for the Warriors, as they were outscored by 28 points and trailed by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Wiggins was one of the few bright spots for the Warriors, scoring 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field. He also added four rebounds and two assists in 22.7 expected minutes. However, he was not enough to overcome the lack of production from his teammates, who combined for just 51 points on 37.4 percent shooting from the field.
The Pelicans wasted no time in taking control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Warriors by 28-13 and extending their lead to as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter. Valanciunas was a force inside for the Pelicans, scoring a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and grabbing nine rebounds. He also made four of his six three-point attempts.
McCollum was another key contributor for the Pelicans, scoring a team-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and hitting four of his six three-point attempts. He also dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds.
The Warriors had no answer for Valanciunas and McCollum’s offensive prowess, as they struggled to contain them inside and outside. The Warriors also had trouble defending Zion Williamson, who scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field despite missing most of the second half with a quad contusion. Williamson also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots.
The Warriors will look to bounce back from this loss when they face off against their division rivals Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night at Staples Center. The Pelicans will continue their road trip when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night at Ball Arena.
