NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Stephen Curry couldn’t get the smile off of his face as he trotted back on defense.
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He had just buried a 31-foot rainbow over 6-foot-10 Anthony Davis – a play he later referred to as “a dumb shot that went in”.
“The best players in this league learn every year how to get a little bit better, a little bit more efficient”, Curry said.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors takes a three-point shot over Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans during their game at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Saturday.
Stephen Curry’s 53 points, 28 of which came in the third quarter, laid the foundations of the victory, with that third-quarter haul his career-high tally for a single 12-minute period.
Curry’s 28 points set the record for most points in a quarter scored by an opposing player against the Pelicans and set his career high for points scored in a quarter.
“I’ve always had confidence”. He continues, “People think we weren’t supposed to be the champs past year, I wasn’t supposed to be MVP, whatever”. He’s moving well, he looks as healthy as I’ve seen him in a Pelicans uniform and he’s been aggressive. Davis echoed his frustrations on defense, saying “We just got to play with more effort”.
Through three games, Curry is averaging 39.3 points and 7.3 assists, shooting 48.6 percent on three-point shots and producing 0.65 win shares per 48 minutes. That total included 25 in a victory in Houston on Friday. Klay Thompson added 11 points.
Curry started the quarter with a insane no-look assist to Harrison Barnes (see “play of the night” below) just to see if he could, it seems. 14 of his 19 shots were either in at the rim or from behind the three-point line, and a lot of them were good shots (except for 1 or 2 ill-advised 3-point attempts). Knight was close behind with 27 points, including four 3-pointers.
The loss marks the second time in the past three years that New Orleans lost their home opener.
Curry left Draymond Green effusive in his praise. “It’s tough. And I tell him, ‘You acting like it.’ That’s risky”.
For the second time in the NBA’s opening week, the New Orleans Pelicans are faced with the daunting task of putting their under-manned roster against the National Basketball Association champions Golden State Warriors.
But Anthony Davis and the Pelicans were eager to get payback while trying to notch their first win of the season.
The Rockets came out with more focus and energy tonight than in their loss to Denver in the opener, but were undone by another night of poor shooting and no offensive rhythm to speak of in a second consecutive blowout, losing 112-92 to the Golden State Warriors.
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“I have to find a way to get through to these guys so that we move the ball more”. The Pelicans combined to score only 26 points in the quarter as the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season continued to dominate them with a one-man show. His counterpart, Dwight Howard, made his season debut and also finished with nine points and seven rebounds. Rajon Rondo scored 21 points for Sacramento.
