2015 Playoffs Game 1: Pelicans Smothered By Warriors

Golden State finished 39-2 at home in the regular-season – make that 1-0 for the 2015 Playoffs. The New Orleans Pelicans looked like a freshman on the first day of high school, limping to a 99-106 loss vs the Warriors.

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Norris Cole (30, second from right) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11, far left), guard Shaun Livingston (34), and forward Draymond Green (23, far right) during the second quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

They call the playoffs ‘second season’ because it is another level of competition and Golden State proved why. The first quarter was a ‘welcome to the playoffs’ moment for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Warriors overwhelmed the Pelicans in the first, sprinting out to a 15-point lead. In the second quarter the Pelicans narrowed the gap to 5 but the Dubs responded with a 15-2 run to close out the first half, walking to the locker room with a 59-41 lead.

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New Orleans was unsteady early, rushing up shots early in the shot-clock and making manic defensive rotations. They were able to close the deficit when they found some consistency for a stretch on both sides of the floor. Then Stephen Curry checked back in the game to guide the Warriors on a long run, punctuated by a ridiculous reverse layup over Davis.

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) walks off the court during the second quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Tyreke Evans left in the second quarter with a left leg contusion and was ruled out of the game. Evans has been one of the top contributors for the Pelicans, leading the team in assists and the second-leading scorer. Losing him for the series would be devastating. He is both a leader on the court and in the huddle, the Pelicans rely on him to guide this team on offense.

Norris Cole filled in admirably off the bench, but was overwhelmed by the Splash Bros. Jrue Holliday, Ryan Anderson, and Dante Cunningham all struggled off the bench, converting less than 25% of their attempts.

Things got bad enough that the guests at my viewing party began debating over Dell Curry’s hair-line. An intriguing conversation, no doubt, but one I wish we had with a large Pelicans lead, not Warriors.

Omer Asik had a rough night. Anytime more than one of my friends text me lines like “Watching Omer Asik makes me want to throw up” you know it hasn’t been a good performance. Andrew Bogut dominated New Orleans’ starting center, missing only one shot all game. With Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green drawing Anthony Davis out to the 3-point line, it was on Asik to man the paint. He underwhelmed on the way to the Warriors outrebounding the Pelican 37-34, but the margin was much larger, 37-30, mid-way through the 4th.

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Davis posted 35 PTS 7 REB and 4 BLK in his playoff debut, but there is still room for him to improve. For one, the rebound total has to be higher. Before the series, pundits were questioning whether Draymond Green would be able to contain Anthony Davis. In Game 1 he might have edged out Davis with an integral 15 PTS 12 REB 7 AST 3 STL 2 BLK. His contributions filter deeper than the box score, Green is the emotional leader of the Warriors and for every stat logged on the box score, there were three more plays he impacted via help D, passing, or spacing.

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the first quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The second half wasn’t much better than the first. New Orleans again narrowed the gap closing it to 11, but Golden State methodically responded with shots from all over the court. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry were electric from the outside, combining for 55 points. Every time the Pelicans threatened to close the gap to single digits, one of those players was involved in a momentum-ending play.

At the end of the 4th the Pelicans closed the lead down to 4 with 9.7 seconds left, but it still felt nothing short of a miracle would’ve led to a New Orleans win. The narrow margin gives hope, but watching the game – it is clear the Pelicans will have to have a massively better showing to have a chance at winning Game 2.

What do the Pelicans have to do for a chance to win game 2? A lot. In short, be better on offense and defense.

New Orleans often looked outmatched and confused. The coaching staff needs the team to calm down and study film. There were stretches when Harrison Barnes was assigned to defend Davis and New Orleans did not take advantage.