Klay: Keeping up with Pelicans' pace is 'tiring'
The New Orleans Pelicans may have been on the wrong end of a blowout in Game 1, but at least they're wearing out the Golden State Warriors.
Klay Thompson admitted as much after Saturday's 123-101 victory to open the Western Conference semifinals.
"Man, it was tiring," the well-conditioned shooting guard said, as quoted by ESPN's Chris Haynes.
The Warriors are coming off a first-round series win over the San Antonio Spurs, one of the slowest teams in the NBA. By comparison, the Pelicans led the league in pace during the regular season at 102.73 possessions per 48 minutes. Saturday's game at Oracle Arena was played at a pace of 105.96, while the pace of Warriors-Spurs peaked at 98.12.
"The Spurs, they are a little older, so they play a little more methodical. They try to beat us up in the half court and low block," said Thompson, who's appeared in 96 percent of his team's games over his career.
"This team is kind of like playing ourselves. It's like, you make a bucket, you can't relax. You have to sprint back, find a shooter, and they are pushing the tempo. It's a whole different ballgame."
Draymond Green - who set a franchise record with a triple-double of 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in Game 1 - summed up the foot race by recalling what Thompson said to him on the bench after registering a game-high 27 points for the Warriors, who finished the regular season ranked fifth in pace at 101.85.
"Klay looked at me on the bench and said, 'Man, Draymond, I got more tired tonight than I did in any game against the Spurs,'" Green said with a laugh. "That kind of sums it up. It's a completely different tempo. They are really pushing the ball, like he said, and nonetheless, as long as we are getting back into transition and not giving up easy stuff, I think that plays into our hands."
Despite the loss, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry indicated his team is sticking to its pace-pushing game plan. After all, it helped New Orleans finish sixth in the West - despite DeMarcus Cousins being out for the latter half of the regular season - and sweep the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the playoffs.
They'll try to even the series Tuesday when they visit the defending champions for Game 2.