With a determined Dejounte Murray, the Pelicans surprise the Warriors
For Dejounte Murray returns to competition (13 points), the Pelicans jumped into the throats of the clumsy and wasteful Warriors (31% shooting success and 13 turnovers on the break). The pair of Zion Williamson (26 points, 6 rebounds) – Sadiq Bey (18 points, 6 rebounds) gives his team a 14-point advantage (31-17), but the end of the first half turns into a duel in the trenches. Moses Moody (24 points) and De’Anthony Melton (28 points) are doing enough to keep Golden State in ambush (46-39).
The two players continue their momentum after returning from the locker room. The Dubs switch to a zone defense and start the third quarter with a 24-13 lead and take the lead (63-59). The Pelicans need eight minutes to find a solution. Newcomer Derrick Quinn (8 points, 7 rebounds) restarts the machine, and Karlo Matkovic’s cross after which he dunked (10 points, 8 rebounds) gives them a five-point advantage before the last period (77-72).
The pelicans are holding on
The winning shot by Jordan Poole (12 points) brings a point, but the trio of De Anthony Melton – Guy Santos (15 points, 12 rebounds) – Draymond Green (11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) returns Golden State to the Pelicans (82-82). As in the first quarter, the Williamson-Bay pair made the difference.
With the Warriors still clumsy from distance, New Orleans goes on a 12-2 run to take a ten-point lead (99-89). De’Anthony Melton then tried everything, but it was the returning Dejounte Murray who ended the game with a layup and two free throws.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
A winning return for Dejounte Murray. Thirteen months after rupturing his Achilles tendon, Dejounte Murray bounced off the NBA court last night. Against the Warriors, Murray scored 13 points on 5/11 shooting in 25 minutes of action. He lost 5 balls, but was decisive at the end of the match. The leader returns while the GM and coach who went to get him to Atlanta are no longer in place.
Zion Williamson appears. His team’s leading scorer, a former No. 1 draft pick, was too powerful for the still decimated Warriors. It took a zone defense to slow down Williamson, but Williamson scored 10 of his 26 points in the final quarter to give the Pelicans the lead.
The Sawtooth Warriors. On the cloud against the Nuggets two days earlier, Steve Kerr’s men began to face the Pelicans without the slightest intensity. They never managed to find a rhythm, finishing the match with 11/45 for 3 runs and losing 21 balls. With the exception of Moses Moody and DeAnthony Melton, the Warriors spent most of the game at the table.
2026-02-25 05:22:00
