Golden State Warriors lose last regular season home game vs. Pelicans

OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 7: Draymond Green
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 7: Draymond Green

The Golden State Warriors lose to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, failing to secure the last 2017-18 regular season win at Oracle Arena.

With two games left in the 2017-18 regular season, it’s crazy knowing that the next time we see the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena will be in the playoffs; and with the last few seeds in the Western Conference still up in the air, the regular season remains far from over.

Lucky for the Dubs, they got a slight preview of what they may go up against the first round of the postseason, hosting the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday in Oakland; however, they failed to bounce back from their 126-106 lost to the Indiana Pacers last Thursday, losing to the Pels 126-120.

The Pelicans caught the Warriors off guard to start the evening, going up 23-14 early in the first quarter. Golden State woke up midway through the first, which ended with a 40-32 lead in favor of New Orleans.

The second quarter was highly contested, ending with the Warriors trailing by two going into halftime. Then, in typical Warriors fashion, the Dubs went on a great run in the third quarter, taking a 92-88 lead going into the final 12 minutes.

However, the Dubs just couldn’t take care of the ball down the stretch, turning the ball over nearly every other possession. They racked up eight turnovers in the last 10 minutes, which led to a 15 easy points and a 38-28 fourth quarter for New Orleans.

Golden State’s regular season win/loss record drops to 57-23, putting them out of contention for a 60-win season. They’ll close out the season with a two-game road trip that will feature the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz.

Saturday evening in Oakland

Kevin Durant led the way for the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, pacing the Dubs with 41 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes. He shot 16-of-26 from the field, 4-of-8 from behind the arc and 5-of-7 from the free throw line.

Quinn Cook was not too far behind, dropping in 21 points, three rebounds and seven assists in 37 minutes. He continues to make a case for the Warriors to sign him prior to the playoffs, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 5-of-7 from long range.

Klay Thompson went 7-of-14 from the field, 3-of-5 from three and 1-of-1 from the charity stripe, tallying 18 points, four rebounds and one assist.

Next: Coach Kerr shouldn't be embarrassed by loss to Pacers

Draymond Green recorded a near triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and one steal, while Kevon Looney posted 10 points, six rebounds and two assists on 5-of-7 shooting.