Curry drops 40 as Warriors make mincemeat of depleted Pelicans
There was nothing in the way of a championship hangover for Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
After unfurling their banner and receiving their gigantic rings Tuesday, the Warriors got to work, opening their title defense with a convincing 111-95 win over an injury-flattened New Orleans Pelicans squad on the first night of the 2015-16 season.
The reigning MVP got his repeat campaign started in scintillating fashion, taking a blow torch to the first quarter with 24 points on a variety of pull-up and step-back triples, and some slithering drives to the hoop.
Curry finished with 40 points (all of which he had by the end of the third quarter), which is the most ever for a reigning MVP in a season opener. He shot 14-of-26 from the field and 5-of-12 from deep, and chipped in seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals. No other Warriors player scored more than 13 points.
The Pelicans - who were playing without six regulars and started Nate Robinson and Kendrick Perkins(!) - would've liked to get the same kind of performance from their own superstar. Instead, Anthony Davis played one of his worst games as a pro, shooting 4-of-20 from the field, grabbing just six rebounds, committing five turnovers, and posting a minus-16 rating in 35 minutes.
The Pelicans as a team got hammered on the boards - losing the offensive rebounding battle 21-8 - which mitigated an uncharacteristically poor shooting performance from just about every Warrior not named Curry.
Golden State was also playing without its coach, Steve Kerr, who continues to deal with complications from a back procedure. Kerr was on hand for the ring and banner ceremony, but interim bench boss Luke Walton took the reins after tipoff, ultimately securing his first win as an NBA head coach. Walton admitted to some nerves, but said Kerr had some reassuring words for him after the game.
"Don't worry," Kerr said, "we won 67 games last year and I didn't know what I was doing at all."