NEW ORLEANS — Steph Curry returned after missing two games with a pelvic contusion, dropping 23 points to lift the Warriors in a sluggish game.
Curry scored 13 second-quarter points to prevent a slow Warriors start from being disqualifying. He went 5-for-16 from 3-point land while his teammates combined to shoot 8-for-39 from deep.
The Warriors (42-31) lost the two games Curry missed before outlasting New Orleans, 111-95. The Pelicans were without Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy.
All three of the Warriors, Clippers and Timberwolves won, keeping the race for the sixth seed essentially gridlocked. Each team has 42 wins.
Curry had pushed to return for Jimmy Butler’s homecoming game in Miami earlier in the week, but felt a snag at the end of his workout. Even though he shot just 7-for-21 from the floor, he looked fine physically after about a full week between games.
Curry’s return to the starting lineup made the Warriors nearly whole; they’re only missing Gary Payton II, who’s out with a partially torn ligament in his thumb.
The two-time MVP looked sharp right away in terms of activity and movement, but the Warriors nonetheless fell behind with another slow start against a less talented team. New Orleans sent two to Curry on ball-screens, forcing the ball out of his hands. He picked up four impressive dimes early, but the Warriors missed their first 10 3-pointers — many of which generated by Curry’s unselfishness — to fall behind 14-2.
Jose Alvarado also picked up Curry full-court while instigating conflict with Draymond Green. On two separate moments in the first quarter, the two exchanged words after fouls.
If the feisty point guard’s objective was to muck the game up, he succeeded. Or at least some external forces succeeded for him. The Pelicans missed two dunks and hit the side of the backboard on a floater while Jonathan Kuminga missed an easy shot at the rim through contact and Brandin Podziemski passed up a shot at the first-quarter buzzer. In one helter-skelter sequence, both teams committed a combined three turnovers in about 10 seconds.
The first half was as ugly as you’ll see in the NBA. The Warriors missed 17 of their first 20 3-pointers and never really stopped settling. The teams combined for 17 turnovers and 19 fouls — including three by Green.
The Warriors were much sharper on both ends in the second half, opening the third quarter on a 20-9 run. But they stumbled in the minutes Curry rested as Brandin Podziemski couldn’t strike a shooting rhythm as a lead playmaker and the team continued to hoist outside jumpers.
Still, the Warriors committed just two second-half turnovers, taking care of the ball and thereby their lead.
Quinten Post stuck a pair of jumpers as part of an 13-3 run to start the fourth and earn breathing room. After a long slog with Curry on the bench, the Warriors put it together, stamping the blitz with a Jimmy Butler and-1.
Buddy Hield converted a four-point play to give the Warriors a 15-point lead and they never turned back from there even as Green fouled out with three minutes to play.
Steve Kerr called this game the biggest of the Warriors’ season leading up to Friday night. Golden State can’t afford to spiral at this point of the season, with the West bunched up atop the play-in picture. Even if they wobbled, the Warriors bought more time to truly get right.
