© Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND — The Warriors are capable of producing deadly runs and ascending to levels that few, if any, teams can match. These spurts often prove too deadly for opponents to recover from, especially with Oracle Arena bellowing with every Golden State bucket.
The knockout punch came in the opening minutes of the third quarter, the period the Warriors have outscored opponents by 377 points this season, the most of any team in any quarter. After leading the Pelicans 59-56 at halftime, the Warriors shot out to a 25-4 run in the first 5:35 of the third quarter. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry tried to minimize the damage, using three timeouts in the first four minutes of the half, but the Warriors had overwhelmed New Orleans to an unrepairable extent.
The Warriors held off a late Pelicans run to win 113-104.
Onto the Western Conference Finals we go.
For a half, this contest featured two offensive juggernauts playing at an entertainingly breakneck speed. Turn away for a minute, and you could miss six or seven possessions. This game was susceptible to quick runs of both brilliant and sloppy play, both of which were on display throughout the first half.
The easily combustible Klay Thompson had yet to truly find a rhythm during this series. But he made back-to-back threes off Stephen Curry assists in the first quarter and continued to make the Pelicans pay for allowing any sliver of an opening. One jumper after another, Thompson produced 19 points in his first 13 minutes. He finished with 23 points.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant let Thompson heat up before attacking in the second quarter. Durant steadily produced 11 second-quarter points, revisiting his unstoppable midrange jumper. Curry scored nine second-quarter points, giving him 13 points on 6-9 shooting at the half.
Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday combined for 32 first-half points to keep the game close, at 59-56 entering halftime.
In the blink of an eye, a close game became a blowout.
Out of the half, the Warriors shot out to 6-0 run. New Orleans timeout. Then a 4-0 Golden State run. New Orleans timeout. Then a 5-2 Warriors run. New Orleans timeout.
Golden State shot out to a 25-4 run behind Curry’s 11 points. The Warriors strung together buckets and stops, using turnovers and long New Orleans misses to fuel their offense.
Curry finished with 28 points, seemingly proving he has returned to full health, showing no lingering signs of a left MCL sprain that sidelined him for 16 games prior to Game 2. Durant methodically poured in 24 points.
The Warriors entered the fourth quarter leading by 20 points. But New Orleans made a late fourth-quarter push, cutting the Golden State lead to seven points with fewer than two minutes remaining behind Davis and Holiday’s 61 combined points. Draymond Green made a contested jumper, and Kevon Looney made a tip-in to extend the Golden State lead to 11, and the game was effectively over.
Next up for the Warriors is the No. 1-seeded Houston Rockets. This is the tilt NBA fans have long awaited.
The Western Conference Finals will start Monday in Houston.
