Game Report: Warriors annihilate Pelicans, move to 7-1

The gap in class between the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans was plain to see in the second half, the Warriors running away with a 41-point win despite leading by just four at the half.

Both teams made an efficient start to the game, the Dubs taking a 38-31 lead after the first quarter on the back of four threes from Stephen Curry.

The Golden State Warriors welcomed the New Orleans Pelicans and let them stay around for 24 minutes, crushing them in a perfect second-half performance.

The Pelicans were missing stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, however without them, they had pushed the Phoenix Suns all the way to the final buzzer earlier in the week. They threatened to emulate a similar outcome, finishing the first half on a 15-4 run to reduce the Warrior lead to four.

The Warriors took control early in the second half, ultimately overpowering a young Pelicans outfit. They locked in defensively and seemingly got whatever they wanted against a tiring and unorganized Pelican defense, outscoring them 72-35 in the second half to take a 126-85 victory.

It was another all-round performance from a deep Warriors team, Jordan Poole backing up his big game against the Hornets to lead the team in scoring with 26. So too did Gary Payton II, his 17 points including another thunderous poster slam along with six rebounds and three assists.

Curry again wasn’t needed outside of his 12 first quarter points, finishing with 19 on just 5-15 shooting from the floor.