Warriors vs. Pelicans: Game 3 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs

No lead is safe from the Golden State Warriors. The New Orleans Pelicans owned a 20-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter, but that still wasn't enough to put the Warriors away. Golden State picked up a huge 123-119 victory Thursday night in the Smoothie King Center.

With the win, the Warriors own a 3-0 series lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Stephen Curry added another absurd highlight to his ludicrous 2014-15 campaign. With Golden State down 108-105 as the seconds dwindled away in the fourth, the All-Star point guard hit a circus three-pointer over an on-rushing Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis, sending the game into overtime.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio wondered how Curry didn't get the foul call:

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout believes the 2014-15 MVP resides in Oakland, California:

Golden State gained the upper hand to start the overtime period, jumping out to a 119-113 lead. Evans made it a four-point game, and a three from Ryan Anderson gave New Orleans a renewed sense of belief as the Pelicans were down just a point.

Eric Gordon had a chance to give the Pelicans the lead, but his three-point attempt hit the front rim. Klay Thompson grabbed the rebound, and Curry nailed two free throws to give the Warriors a three-point edge.

An off-the-ball foul on the ensuing possession gave New Orleans a free throw and the ball. Davis nailed the gimme from the charity stripe and tried to tie the game. He couldn't get a good look, though, and when his shot went begging, that was the beginning of the end for the Pelicans.

NBA on ESPN pointed out just how improbable the Warriors' comeback was:

According to ESPN Stats & Info, only two other teams have overturned a similar deficit:

Curry finished with 40 points and nine assists. He only shot 10-of-29 from the floor and 7-of-18 from long range, but his clutch shooting down the stretch will be remembered for some time. Thompson added 28 points, while Draymond Green was fantastic on the boards, grabbing 17 rebounds to go along with his 12 points.

Anderson had a big game off the bench for New Orleans, contributing 26 points in a losing effort. Evans and Norris Cole added 19 and 16 points, respectively.

Davis again had impressive numbers (29 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks), but the Pelicans' fourth-quarter collapse will overshadow everything he did on the court. Davis' seeming inability to grab a rebound late in the game was also glaring.

New Orleans' finish echoed how it played the last time these teams met. The Pelicans very nearly took Game 2 in Oracle Arena. The 97-87 final score was a bit deceiving since New Orleans was playing extremely well until its offense dried up in the second half, particularly from Davis in the fourth quarter.

Davis believed that returning home would help the Pelicans get back into the series, per Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group:

"

We beat them last time here, so we're definitely confident in what we're doing in our schemes and game plan. We're not a team where we're going to think, 'Oh, we can't beat this team. Let's just sit back and let them sweep us.' It's not going to happen. We're going to fight to the end.

"

On the contrary, the Warriors' hot finish to Game 2 carried into the early stages of Game 3. They jumped out to a 17-9 lead and couldn't miss. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was particularly impressed by what he was seeing from Curry and Thompson:

Golden State nailed its first five three-pointers of the game, which ESPN Stats & Info noted was a good sign for the Warriors' chances of winning:

The Pelicans withstood the onslaught, however. Staring at a 25-20 hole, they went on a 19-0 run that spanned the first and second quarters. With a little over nine minutes remaining in the first half, New Orleans had completely turned the tide of Game 3 and held a 39-25 lead.

The Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson highlighted how the Pelicans caught fire from the field during that stretch:

From that point forward, Golden State played from behind and could rarely eat into the deficit. Every time the Warriors looked like they'd make some headway, the Pelicans got a defensive stop and followed it up with a bucket at the other end.

According to ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh, one other team shot the ball as well through the first two quarters against the Warriors this year:

At halftime, New Orleans owned a 63-52 advantage, and the gap got even bigger in the second half. By the time third quarter wrapped up, the Pelicans' lead had swelled to 20 points, 89-69.

Despite what seemed like an unassailable position for New Orleans, CBS Sports' Matt Moore astutely observed that things can turn around quickly when facing the Warriors' attack:

"

Pelicans up 17, or as I call it, four Warriors possessions.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 24, 2015"

Indeed, Golden State woke up offensively in the fourth quarter. It slowly ate away at the Pelicans' lead, trimming the deficit to 17 points, then 15 points, then 12 points, then eight points. Suddenly, the Warriors had possession down only four points with 45 seconds remaining.

Harrison Barnes missed a three-pointer that really could've turned Game 3 on its head. Shaun Livingston grabbed the offensive rebound and took a foul on his putback attempt. He knocked down one of his two free throws, making it a three-point contest.

The Pelicans could have iced the game away at the foul line, but Davis missed his first free throw with nine seconds remaining. That kept the Warriors within three, which allowed Curry a chance to tie in the waning seconds.

This game is almost the death blow for New Orleans. The Pelicans will have to reverse a 3-0 deficit against the best team in the league, not to mention win two games in Oracle Arena, where the Warriors lost twice in the regular season.

The Pelicans have been extremely close, but they've ultimately failed to collect a win.

Golden State will look to close out the series on the road Saturday. With the way Game 3 ended, nothing is out of the question for Game 4.