San Francisco – In his pregame press conference, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr did not reveal his starting lineup with both Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined. Kerr opted for a small lineup that included Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield.
In their first back-to-back matchup, Golden State’s bench outlasted and outplayed the New Orleans Pelicans, securing a 124-106 victory and marking their first home win. Hield’s standout performance in the fourth quarter, where he scored 19 points, was instrumental in sealing the win.
“I just think playing without two starters and another guy in Melt (De’Anthony Melton) who’s one of our first guys off the bench, it’s an adjustment,” said Kerr. “First quarter, we just trying to get a feel. Obviously, we struggled to make shots, but I just liked the fact that we kept poised, and everybody who came off the bench played well and made a big impact. Our defense kicked in, and Lindy Waters (lll) came in and lit it up and changed the game.”
The Warriors started slow, trailing 31-14 at the end of the first quarter. By the second quarter, Golden State gained momentum, rallying back from a 20-point deficit and capitalizing on the Pelicans 23 turnovers. After a quiet first half in which Hield went 1-for-8 and scored only three points, he erupted in the fourth quarter to finish with 28 points.
“You have rough spurts, like the first half, but guys like Lindy (Waters lll) and Moses (Moody) had it going, so you got to ride that wave,” Hield said. “Steve (Kerr) did a good job of handling that and balancing guys out. When you have a hot hand like Lindy, who’s deserving of a chance for all of training camp, he’s been doing really well. Steve was like, ‘I’m going to go with Lindy, and he ride that wave, and it worked out. Then, it was my time to come in, and it worked out. My teammates had my back from start to finish.”
Moses Moody, who made five three-pointers, added 17 points as part of a starting lineup featuring Hield, Podziemski, Draymond Green, and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Both Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga contributed 17 points each, while Lindy Waters III finished with 21. With five players scoring in double figures, the Warriors capped off a well-rounded team effort.
“It always feels good,” Waters said. “I come in and do the work every single day. No matter if my number is called or not. It feels good to go out there and get a win, especially with how we started out. We were down 20 or something, but we kept our eyes off the scoreboard and just focused possession by possession.”
Curry, who exited Sunday night’s game with a sprained ankle, underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage and confirmed a left peroneal strain. He will be re-evaluated on Friday. Wiggins was sidelined with a lower back sprain, and De’Anthony Melton also had an MRI on his back, which showed no structural damage.
“I mean, obviously, it’s a concern given that he came to us with the injury,” Kerr said postgame. “But we are making sure that we’re being careful with it. This is all in Rick’s (Celebrini, VP Player Health and Performance) hands and the training staff. So it’s important early in the season, especially, to help him get off on the right foot from an injury standpoint, from a health standpoint. I can’t really tell you anything long-term like how concerning it is, but we just know that it’s serious enough to give him the next couple of days and then regroup from there.”
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