As Steve Kerr let out an exasperated request for a timeout, Tyreke Evans skipped up the sideline directly in front of him, celebrating New Orleans’s biggest lead of the night after his running one-handed scoop shot.
Less than an hour, later those cheers would turn to chants of M-V-P. The three-letter cadence was not in honor of any hometown Pelican, but rather out of respect for visiting superstar Stephen Curry, whose eight-point overtime performance had just ruined their hopes of a victory celebration and gave the Warriors a 128-122 win, their 16th straight victory.
Curry finished with 34 points to lead the Warriors while Klay Thompson had 29. Andre Iguodala chipped in 20 off the bench.
Initially Sunday, it appeared as though the Warriors would be treated to the same southern hospitality in New Orleans they were shown the previous afternoon in their light work of Dallas. Both Splash Brothers were graciously given ample space to unleash their lethal jump shots as they scored 11 of the Warriors first 13 points. Yet, just when Curry’s three from the top of the key gave him 13 points in less than seven minutes had them ready to start sipping lemonade on the porch with a 21-14, their Bayou opponents went on a run of their own and by the quarter’s end the Warriors’ easy Sunday afternoon turned into a 31-28 deficit.
The Bay Area visitors built another lead in the second behind what would be Andre Iguodala’s highest scoring game of the year and finished the half up 60-51. They would have that quarter pulled out from under them as well by the relentless attack of Jrue Holliday and Tyreke Evans. The talented young backcourt who would each finish with a combined 64 points and 14 assists would help give the Warriors their worst quarter of the season to the tune of 38 points and lead the Pelicans back to tie the high scoring affair at 89 going into the fourth quarter.
The home team continued their onslaught deep into the fourth quarter, all the way to the aforementioned eight-point margin that would be their biggest of the game. Shaun Livingston and Mareese Speights, along with the rolling Andre Iguodala, would help the Warriors fight back from the seemingly insurmountable deficit, with Iguodala ultimately tying the game at 111-111. After a one-legged Evans heave went wide left off the backboard, the teams headed back to their respective benches to prepare to decide the gave in overtime.
The stage was then set for the Warrior’s MVP hopeful to take over and he more than obliged. The baby-faced assassin as he is often called, knocked down two improbable threes in the extra period – the second of which would come on a leaner just outside the reach of a lunging Austin Rivers and put away the Sunday matinée thriller for good.
Tale of the Tape
Warriors
- Field Goal Percentage: 51.2% (44-86)
- Three Point Percentage: 45.8% (11-24)
- Rebounds: 46 (8 Off)
- Assists: 22
- Turnovers: 19
Mavericks
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.5 % (47-101
- Three Point Percentage: 29.6 % (8-27)
- Rebounds: 44 (12 off.)
- Assists: 22
- Turnovers: 13
Good To Know
Warriors keep the streak alive + the streak of opposing teams not hitting half their shots
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) December 15, 2014
What’s on Tap
Tuesday the Warriors will face their biggest test of the year as they head to the home of the Western Conference’s second place grit-and-grind Memphis Grizzlies (19-4)