Pelicans top reeling Warriors
NEW ORLEANS — J.J. Redick scored 26 points, hitting his sixth 3-pointer of the game from the left corner with 1:09 left, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Golden State Warriors 108-100 on Sunday night.
Jrue Holiday had 22 points despite a difficult night shooting the ball and also had nine assists and eight rebounds for the Pelicans. Jaxson Hayes had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the first start of his career.
Article continues after this advertisementEric Paschall scored 30 points for injury-depleted Golden State, which has lost seven straight. Ky Bowman scored 19 points and Glenn Robinson III added 14.
Golden State trailed most of the game but rallied from a third-quarter deficit as large as 17 to get as close as 77-74 on Marquese Chriss’ tomahawk jam over Nicolo Melli.
But Holiday — who shot 4 of 16 through three quarters before making five of his last seven — responded with free throws, two driving layups and a turnaround fade in succession to push the Pelicans’ lead back to double digits.
Article continues after this advertisementNickiel Alexander-Walker hit five 3s and finished with 19 points for New Orleans, while Melli was 5 of 7 from deep and scored 16.
The Pelicans took the lead for good when Alexander-Walker’s layup made it 23-21 late in the first quarter.
New Orleans was up by as many as 14 in the first half after Melli hit a 3 as he was fouled, and sank his free throw, for a four-point possession that made it 50-36.
Another 3 by Melli gave New Orleans its largest lead at 68-51, but Golden State wasn’t ready to wilt, ending the third period down just 76-69 after Paschall hit a jumper to give him what was then a game-high 24 points.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Chriss had 10 points for Golden State. … The Warriors shot 7 of 25 (28 percent) from 3-point range. … Draymond Green was called for a technical foul, his fourth of the season, while waiting for the Pelicans’ Hayes to shoot free throws.
Pelicans: Coach Alvin Gentry went with his 10th different starting lineup of the season — and seventh in the last seven games. Hayes, drafted eighth overall last summer, responded to his first start with a soaring block from behind on Robinson to thwart a fast break in the first quarter, drawing a raucous ovation from the crowd. … The Pelicans shot 39.1% from 3-point range (18 of 46).
INJURED LIST
The official injury report was a who’s who of key players for both clubs, making this contest vastly different than it looked back when the schedule first came out. For the Warriors, stars Stephen Curry (broken left hand) and Klay Thompson (left knee) were just the beginning. Also out for Golden State were guard D’Angelo Russell (right hand sprain), forward Kevon Looney (Neuropathy), guard Damion Lee (broken right hand), forward Alen Smailagic (right ankle sprain) and guard Jacob Evans III (strained groin).
On the other bench, top overall draft pick Zion Williamson (right knee), who has yet to make his NBA regular season debut, was joined in street clothes by guard Lonzo Ball (groin strain) and guard Josh Hart (left knee and ankle sprains). Center Derrick Favors (back spasms) was held out and did not watch from the bench. Forward Brandon Ingram (right knee soreness), center Jahlil Okafor (left ankle) and guard Frank Jackson (neck bruise) were in uniform but also wound up not playing.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Visit Memphis on Tuesday night in the second game of a four-game road swing.
Pelicans: Host Portland on Tuesday in what could be Carmelo Anthony’s debut for the Trail Blazers.