NBA Playoffs
Western Conference - First Round
Tip-off: Monday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Golden State -12.0, Total: 205.5

The Pelicans look to steal Game 2 when they face the Warriors in Golden State on Monday.

Game 1 in this series was dominated by Golden State, as the Warriors won 106-99 as 12.5-point favorites. The game ended up being a lot closer than it actually was because the Warriors shot a miserable 21-of-34 from the charity stripe. This team will need to shoot it better from the line moving forward. With that victory for Golden State, the Warriors are now 11-1 SU and 8-3 ATS versus the Pelicans over the past three seasons. They have been even more dominant at home, as the last time New Orleans won at Oracle Arena was on Apr. 24, 2012. The Pelicans are, however, 26-13 ATS as an underdog this season and 16-4 ATS after two straight games giving up 10 or less offensive rebounds this season as well. Golden State, meanwhile, is 14-5 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points this season and 13-3 ATS after two straight games where they had 10 or more steals this season. PG Jrue Holiday (Leg) and SF Tyreke Evans (Knee) are questionable for the Pelicans in this game and PF David Lee (Back) is out for the Warriors.

The Pelicans got down big in Game 1 against the Warriors, but they did some good things in the second half and showed a lot of fight. PF Anthony Davis (24.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.9 BPG, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG) played well in his first ever playoff game, finishing with 35 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 40 minutes of action. He was dominant in the fourth quarter, but must be more effective on the glass from the start of Game 2. SG Eric Gordon (13.4 PPG, 3.8 APG, 2.6 RPG) and SF Quincy Pondexter (7.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG) both played well off of Davis in Game 1. Gordon had 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the outside and Pondexter had one of his best games of the year, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals in 37 minutes of action. Both of these guys will need to be ready to play at a high level in Game 2, as both PG Jrue Holiday (14.8 PPG, 6.9 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG) and SF Tyreke Evans (16.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG) are listed as questionable for this one. If the two of them don’t end up playing then PG Norris Cole (7.6 PPG, 3.4 APG) will take over as this team’s primary ball-handler. He had eight points and six assists in Game 1 and will need to be ready to play solid defense on Stephen Curry.

The Warriors really played an excellent three quarters against the Pelicans in Game 1, but they got sloppy in the fourth and struggled to make free throws. They’ll need to make sure they don’t get complacent on Monday, as they clearly had overlooked their opponent late in the game. PG Stephen Curry (23.8 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG) continued his excellent play on the year, pouring in 34 points with five assists, four rebounds and three steals on Saturday. The Pelicans could be depleted at the guard position on Monday, so Curry should be able to light it up once again. PF Draymond Green (11.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.3 BPG) was really an animal in the opening game of this series, finishing with 15 points, 12 boards, seven assists, three steals and two blocks in 42 minutes of action. He did a good job of defending Davis for the first three quarters and will need to compete at a high level once again on Monday. SG Klay Thompson (21.7 PPG, 1.1 SPG) had 21 points, three assists, two blocks and a steal in the game. Thompson was 3-for-6 from the outside and must continue to shoot the ball well and also defend. He can’t afford to let Eric Gordon go off in Game 2, which is something the Pelicans will be in desperate need of with Holiday and Evans banged up. C Andrew Bogut (6.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG) was a monster on both sides of the ball on Saturday. He had 12 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in just 30 minutes. He must continue to protect the rim and battle for rebounds moving forward.