Warriors at Pelicans
The Golden State Warriors found out on Sunday that they may have some holes to fill before the start of the playoffs. The New Orleans Pelicans, who host the Warriors on Tuesday, are hoping some of those holes stay open a little longer.
The Pelicans are chasing the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and the right to open the playoffs against top-seeded Golden State. New Orleans missed a chance to pull even with a 99-90 loss at Portland on Saturday and sits one-half game behind the Thunder with six games remaining. The Warriors had a 12-game winning streak come to an end in a 107-92 loss at San Antonio on Sunday. Golden State already locked up homecourt advantage and the best record in franchise history and could begin getting players more rest after missing out on the win over the Spurs, which represented the last big hurdle on the schedule.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (63-14): Golden State was trying to snap a 31-game regular-season losing streak in San Antonio and had all of its starters in the lineup until pulling the plug in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry still put on a display with 13 points in under two minutes in the third quarter to provide some hope for a comeback. Curry, who has played 30 or more minutes in six of the last seven games and has not gotten a game off since March 13, could be one of several candidates to get a break in the Warriors’ final road game of the regular season.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (41-35): New Orleans had a shot at a perfect three-game road trip before falling off the pace late at Portland and is running out of chances to jump in front of the Thunder. “If this was in the middle of the season, it would be (all) positive, a winning record on this road trip,” forward Ryan Anderson told reporters. “But every game is precious for us at this point, so a loss is tough. We need to come home, get ready for the next game, and get a win.” The Pelicans will play three of their final six on the road, including trips to Memphis and Houston.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors G Shaun Livingston is expected to return after serving a one-game suspension.
2. Pelicans G Eric Gordon is 10-of-17 from 3-point range in the last three games.
3. Golden State has taken each of the first three meetings this season, including a 128-122 overtime win in New Orleans on Dec. 14.