Warriors vs. Pelicans: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs
The Golden State Warriors essentially knocked the New Orleans Pelicans out of the postseason with their massive comeback in Game 3 of their first-round series in the 2015 NBA playoffs. On Saturday, the Western Conference's top seed finished off the job, beating New Orleans 109-98 in the Smoothie King Center.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, it's the franchise's first playoff sweep in a best-of-seven series in 40 years:
When the Pelicans headed into the fourth quarter of Game 3 with a 20-point lead, it looked like the entire complexion of the series changed. New Orleans had knocked on the door in Games 1 and 2 and looked ready to kick it down Thursday.
Then, Stephen Curry's improbable game-tying three-pointer found the bottom of the net, capping off a furious fourth-quarter rally from the Warriors. Golden State prevailed in overtime and took a commanding 3-0 series lead.
"We are going to compete," said Anthony Davis ahead of Game 3, per NOLA.com's John Reid. "We have been resilient all year. As long as I have been playing for New Orleans, we have been a resilient fight team. We are not giving up anytime soon. If anything, this is going to be something that fuels us in the next game."
Like he has throughout the entire series, Davis posted big numbers (36 points, 11 rebounds) in a losing effort. ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh believes this is the first of many great individual playoff performances to come from the big man:
Eric Gordon also continued his strong postseason run, scoring 29 points. The rest of New Orleans' starting five contributed just seven points, though.
Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson combined to score 86. Curry was the game's leading scorer with 39 points on 11-of-20 shooting. He also made six of his eight three-point attempts and added eight rebounds and nine assists. Green, meanwhile, had a double-double—22 points and 10 rebounds.
The nature of the Warriors' win in Game 4 and series sweep will lead some to believe that Golden State easily brushed aside the Pelicans en route to the second round. CBS Sports' Will Brinson feels that attitude couldn't be any more wrong:
When thinking ahead to Saturday's game, the last thing New Orleans needed to do was dig itself into an early hole. The sooner the Pelicans could take control, the more their confidence would build and the more their fans would get into the game.
Instead, Golden State closed the first quarter on a 14-7 run to grab a 31-24 lead. Things didn't get much better for the Pelicans in the second quarter. They were unable to seriously eat into the deficit, getting to within six on a few different occasions.
Thompson nailed a three-pointer as the first half wound down to put the Warriors ahead by 13, 67-54, going into halftime. Golden State's trio of Thompson, Curry and Green were immense through the first two quarters. They outscored New Orleans on their own, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Although New Orleans clawed to within nine points of the Warriors early in the second half, Golden State grabbed an 18-point lead about halfway through the third quarter. As NBA.com's John Schuhmann noted, the West's best team had never lost this year after building such a massive advantage:
The quarter can best be summed up by this series of plays that saw Andrew Bogut's block followed by a nasty dime from Curry to Harrison Barnes for two points:
The early stages of the fourth quarter got a bit spicy as the Pelicans opened on a 9-0 run to close the gap to 12 points, 88-76. Mary Babers-Green, mother of Draymond Green, wasn't happy with the way the Warriors were letting New Orleans back into the game:
The difference between the teams dwindled to seven late in the fourth, but that's as close as the Pels got to extending the series. Their comeback attempt proved too little, too late.
Getting swept out of the first round isn't a great way to end a season, but it's all about perspective with regard to the Pelicans. Few NBA fans and pundits expected them to make the postseason at all. CBS Sports' Matt Moore doesn't think Saturday's loss overshadows everything New Orleans accomplished and where the franchise is going in the years ahead:
Meanwhile, the Warriors will meet either the Portland Trail Blazers or Memphis Grizzlies in the second round. Both teams are dealing with injuries, and a long drawn-out series would do the winner no favors against Golden State.
The Warriors weren't necessarily at their best in this series and may have underestimated the Pelicans through the first three games. They can't afford to do that against the Blazers or Grizzlies.
