New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The New Orleans Pelicans refuse to be cowed by the top-seeded Golden State Warriors, and it took a 14-point fourth quarter from Klay Thompson to finally dispatch the pesky Pels 97-87 in Monday's Game 2.
The Pelicans soared to the end of the first quarter with a 14-0 run into the final minute, and they continually proved a worthy match for the mighty Warriors. The Warriors shot the lights out in the second quarter and still only led by three at the half.
After three quarters, the Dubs found themselves tied at home against the No. 8 seed, and it seemed as if an upset might actually be in the cards. It was a one-point game with five-and-a-half minutes remaining, but the inexperienced Pelicans seemed to get flustered finally against the Warriors' ruthless execution.
The hosts went on a 12-3 tear to end the game, with Thompson accounting for eight of those 12 points. Meanwhile, the Pels abandoned ball movement, settled for contested jumpers on the perimeter and failed to take care of the ball just as crunch time kicked off. It marked a bitter end to a stellar effort, and they'll head back to Louisiana looking to defend their home court.
| Klay Thompson | A- |
| Stephen Curry | B+ |
| Draymond Green | B |
| Andrew Bogut | B- |
| Harrison Barnes | C |
| Rest of Team | B |
| Anthony Davis | B+ |
| Eric Gordon | B+ |
| Tyreke Evans | B |
| Quincy Pondexter | C |
| Omer Asik | C- |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry, Point Guard
Steph Curry attempted only three shots in the fourth quarter and missed them all, but he didn't need to handle the scoring, as Thompson seized that role with relish.
Curry had already piloted the Warriors through three quarters with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting. While the offense showed flashes of its brilliance, the Pelicans defense deserves praise. Curry committed five turnovers to go along with six assists, and he was disrupted by the length of Quincy Pondexter's defense more than once.
The Warriors offense in general lurched through the first and third quarters, but they were able to find the right gear when it mattered most.
Grade: B+
Klay Thompson, Shooting Guard
While he didn't look like one of the Splash Brothers for much of Game 2, Thompson seemed to have saved it for the fourth. He scored 12 points through three quarters, which is nothing to sneeze at. Then he unleashed a salvo in the final quarter, racking up 14 more points and finishing with a very tidy 11-of-17 shooting to get his 26.
Over the final seven minutes, Thompson accounted for a dozen of the team's final 16 points and personally put the game out of reach after the Pelicans pestered them all night.
He also contributed stout on-ball defense against a dynamic Pelicans rotation, and he's clearly Golden State's backcourt enforcer.
Grade: A-
Draymond Green, Power Forward
There is no advice for guarding Anthony Davis, aside from "good luck," but Draymond Green is plenty pugnacious. Davis seemed content to shoot over the smaller Green, but his mid-range jumpers weren't falling consistently.
Green himself was stuck on 2-of-9 shooting early in the fourth quarter, right before he drilled a three-pointer and pushed the lead to four points while the Pelicans were circling. He made numerous key plays to help keep the momentum and the crowd with them, and his floater began a decisive 9-0 run during the final four minutes.
As usual, Green did a bit of everything, collecting 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block. He also finished with a game-high floor rating of plus-24.
Grade: B
Andrew Bogut, Center
Andrew Bogut showed tremendous energy in the first quarter, blocking a pair of shots and rumbling down the court for an emphatic dunk. It helped set a tone, and the excitable Aussie kept up that approach.
His only two field goals in the game were both dunks, but he also posted a game-high 14 rebounds and three blocked shots—and he doesn't even have a unibrow.
Grade: B-
Harrison Barnes, Small Forward
Despite seeing 31 minutes in Game 1, Harrison Barnes saw his playing time eaten into by a strong night from the Warriors bench. At times, head coach Steve Kerr seemed to favor other matchups to go against certain smaller Pelicans lineups.
He logged 22 minutes and came up with only five points on six shots. He did add three assists and a steal, plus one genuine hustle rebound from the offensive glass. All in all, it was a hushed night from Barnes, but that vacillating production is not out of the ordinary for him.
Grade: C
Rest of Team
Early on, Leandro Barbosa looked like he had turned back the clock to his time with the Phoenix Suns. He was the first Warrior in double figures after scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting through eight minutes.
Sure, he only added two points after that, but it was a memorable first half, and it led the Golden State bench's response at the start of the second quarter with the team down by 11.
Andre Iguodala put in 30 minutes off the bench, and the veteran still offers that versatile skill set of defense, ball-handling and athleticism. His alley-oop slam from Green with nine minutes remaining nearly blew the roof off the Oracle, and he ended with five points.
Shaun Livingston tallied four assists and Marreese Speights swatted two shots in their 13 minutes off the bench.
Grade: B
New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis, Power Forward
Coming off of a game-high 35 points in Game 1, Anthony Davis shot early and often, hitting 10 points before the first quarter expired. He played away from the basket often and got 26 points from 9-of-22 shooting.
Add in Davis' 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals, and it was another strong game from the 22-year-old phenom, who played 45 of the 48 minutes.
But Davis seemed too willing at times to settle for jump shots. He's a terror on the offensive end, with his size and athleticism in the paint. When it mattered most, Davis was bricking jump shots as his team's offense sputtered and stalled.
These playoff battles against title contenders will prove valuable experience for Davis, and he led the plucky Pelicans in a creditable effort despite the final score.
Grade: B+
Eric Gordon, Shooting Guard
Just like Davis, Eric Gordon also had a double-digit first quarter with 11 points, and he didn't stop there. Gordon dropped five three-pointers on 10 attempts, with the rest of his teammates only accounting for two treys on 10 tries. Overall, the Pelicans' 35 percent shooting on 20 attempts beat the Warriors' 30 percent on 30 attempts from downtown, which helped keep the game close.
Gordon turned in a healthy 23-point effort with 9-of-19 shooting, but he couldn't get the timely hoops his team needed. After a red-hot evening from deep, Gordon bricked an open look that would have trimmed the deficit back to just three points inside the final two minutes.
Grade: B+
Tyreke Evans, Point Guard
A bone bruise to the left knee had Tyreke Evans listed as questionable for Game 2—but this is the playoffs.
The injury seemed to affect his shot, both from the field (4-of-13 shooting) and at the foul line (7-of-12 shooting). Yet, he still had the energy to corral 10 rebounds and hand out seven assists.
Evans logged 41 minutes despite his balky knee, which is somewhat incredible, and it is emblematic of the all-out effort the Pelicans gave.
"Monty on Tyreke, "I thought I played him too much. Towards the end of the game, he got a little winded." Credits Tyreke for playing well.
— Michael McNamara (@McNamara247) April 21, 2015"
Grade: B
Omer Asik, Center
Omer Asik took an elbow to the face during the second quarter and returned for the second half with a bandage on his chin.
When he was on the court and not in the locker room, the results were noticeably poor, from lackluster defense to fumbled passes.
"I’m not suffering some sort of reality break, right? Omer Asik was once good at defense?
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 21, 2015"
But the man can rebound, yes he can. He ripped down 13 boards and was responsible for six of the team's 11 offensive rebounds. He also managed two steals, which was the number of points he scored as well.
Grade: C-
Quincy Pondexter, Small Forward
Quincy Pondexter lit it up for 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting in Game 1. There was simply no way the Warriors would allow that to happen again. They punished him into 1-of-8 shooting and just three points, but he made an impact elsewhere with four dimes and four steals.
Grade: C
Rest of Team
Norris Cole leaped off the bench with nine points in his first eight minutes, but he headed back to the pine after picking up his second foul early in the second quarter. He finished with 11.
Dante Cunningham sparked a momentum play early in the fourth quarter, blocking Speights at the rim on a fast break, which turned into a layup and a three-point chance for Cole. Cunningham showed the value of his defense and helped stem the tide in the fourth quarter.
Ryan Anderson was a non-factor and missed four of his five shots.
Grade: C+
Coming Up Next
Perhaps the Pelicans can blame the crowd noise. Fans at Oracle Arena were even louder and more raucous than usual, which probably had something to do with New Orleans head coach Monty Williams telling reporters at Monday morning's shootaround, via ESPN's Tom Haberstroh, "I'm not so sure the decibel level is legal, and I'm serious."
That merely goaded the home fans in Oakland, who roared proudly right from the Game 2 tipoff. Those cheers were mixed with heaving sighs of relief after the Warriors notched the narrow win.
The decibel level of Dubs fans won't be an issue for Game 3, which tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET in New Orleans. TNT has the national broadcast.
