Kyrie Irving’s 26 points lead Boston past Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS— Anthony Davis had just trimmed New Orleans’ deficit to a seemingly surmountable seven points when Boston’s Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum combined to quickly squash any notion of a comeback.

Irving closed out a 26-point, 10-assist performance with a 3-pointer and a tough baseline fade over Davis, and the Celtics pulled away late for a 124-107 victory over the Pelicans on Monday night.


Tatum, who scored 20, threw down a right-handed dunk while being fouled by Davis with 2:26 left, at which point Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry began subbing out starters and fans started filing out, resigned to just New Orleans’ second loss in 10 home games this season.

“It’s closing time at that point,” Irving said. “We knew that we had the game in control just based upon our defensive schemes that we had out there.



“At winning time like that, I have the confidence in my teammates and confidence in my coaching staff to make the right plays and seek out the mismatches that we want,” Irving added.

Davis finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks, Nikola Mirotic hit six 3s as part of his 25 points, and Julius Randle added 15 points from the bench, but that wasn’t enough to end what is now a four-game losing streak for New Orleans.

Al Horford scored 20 points, and Marcus Morris had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which punished the Pelicans for their 22 turnovers, converting them into 32 points.



“That’s how we’re used to playing. That’s the team we know,” Boston guard Marcus Smart said. “We had different guys diving on the floor and doing multiple things on the defensive end.”

Irving had five steals, while Tatum and Horford each had three.

“We knew most of their plays and contested and used our length to our advantage,” Irving said. “When we’re playing at that type of level, then we’re tough to beat, because offensively it’ll take care of itself. … It felt good tonight to win like that because that’s who we are.”

The Celtics put up 39 3s, hitting 19, a statistic that Gentry thought was as telling as his team’s turnovers.

“It started with turnovers, but we gave up too many uncontested 3s,” Gentry said. “This team is a great 3-point shooting team anyway, so their bigs can shoot them, their perimeter guys can shoot them, and every time we got it within a workable distance, it was either a turnover or they made a 3.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Terry Rozier scored 14 points. He also was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter after he tossed the ball away during a stoppage. … Boston outscored New Orleans 42-34 in the paint. … The Celtics improved to 6-7 on the road.

Pelicans: Jrue Holiday scored 13 points but also finished with eight turnovers. … Forward Solomon Hill saw action for the first time since Nov. 1. He saw no playing time in 12 straight games before his 20 minutes against Boston. He had four rebounds, two points and an assist. … New Orleans was 27 of 29 on three throws, but went 12 of 32 from 3.

SETTING THE TONE

New Orleans trailed nearly the entire game, falling behind early because of eight first-quarter turnovers that led to 11 Celtics points. Holiday, playing point guard instead of shooting guard while Elfrid Payton sits out with a broken finger, turned ball over five times in the opening period.

The Celtics opened up their largest lead with an 11-0 run that began with three straight three-point possessions: Irving’s floater in the lane as he was fouled, Irving’s 3-pointer and Tatum’s driving layup while being fouled.


Rozier’s layup capped the burst and made it 80-60 midway through the third quarter.

Soon after, Randle’s free throws and Darius Miller’s 3 ignited an 11-2 Pelicans run to close the period, trimming Boston’s lead to 10 heading to the fourth.

Davis scored five straight points on a short fade as he was fouled and a pair of free throws to cut it to 93-87 with nearly nine minutes to play.

But Boston never let it get closer than that.

UP NEXT

Celtics host Cleveland on Friday night.

Pelicans host Washington on Wednesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Davis shines as Pelicans rout Rockets in season opener

Anthony Davis scored 32 points and Elfrid Payton finished with a triple double as the New Orleans Pelicans got their NBA season off to a roaring start by clobbering the Houston Rockets 131-112 on Wednesday.

Davis also had 16 rebounds and eight assists and Payton finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Pelicans, who led wire-to-wire.


“I am just taking what the defense gives me,” said Davis. “It is only game one. It is a good win but we still got a lot of work to do.

“To come out with a win against a team like that after the season they had and coming off the season we had, we wanted to come out and set a tempo.”

The Pelicans’ dominating win in front of a crowd of 18,000 at Toyota Center arena in Texas was one of 11 games in the first full night of the 2018-19 NBA season.

League Most Valuable Player James Harden flirted with a triple double, finishing with 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Rockets failed to match New Orleans’ season-opening intensity, especially on defense.

Nikola Mirotic delivered 30 points and 10 rebounds in the blowout as the Pelicans led by as many as 29 points.

Payton and Julius Randle were the two biggest additions in the offseason. And with DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo moving to other teams, the Pelicans are going to have to develop a new personality this season.

“We are not going to shoot the ball this well every night but tonight we did a great job imposing our will on defense which led to a lot of fast break opportunities,” said Davis. “We executed our game plan to the T. When we play like this we will be tough to beat.”

Many thought the Pelicans’ 2017-18 season was done when Cousins went down in mid-season with an Achilles injury. New Orleans rallied together and swept Portland in the first round of the playoffs.

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni expected more on opening night from his experienced squad. Houston was the most prolific three-point shooting team in the NBA last season when they finished with a franchise record 65-17 win-loss record.

They took the NBA by storm and many consider them a legitimate threat this year to dethrone the Golden State Warriors.

“It is the first game of 82. We will right the ship today, tomorrow, and the next day,” said D’Antoni.

“We kind of let go of the rope at the end of the first half. We obviously have some things to work on. We’ve got to get our legs and then go after it.”

Eric Gordon scored a team-high 21 points. Chris Paul and PJ Tucker had 19 points each for the Rockets, who are trying to replace outgoing defensive specialists Trevor Ariza and Mbah a Moute with aging veteran Carmelo Anthony and journeyman James Ennis.

Reserve Anthony, who bristled in the past about the idea of having to come off the bench, finished with nine points on three of 10 shooting in 27 minutes of playing time.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors use big second quarter to pull away, crush Pelicans

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Draymond Green dazzled all over the floor with his fourth career postseason triple-double, and the Golden State Warriors thoroughly overmatched the New Orleans Pelicans for a 123-101 win in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals Saturday night.

Green finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and two blocks and just with his hustle and energy helped the defending champions pull away with a superb, decisive second quarter.

Now, they likely get Stephen Curry back for Game 2 on Tuesday night and all that he brings — even if in a limited role initially.


Anthony Davis had 21points and 10 rebounds, scoring 10 in the first quarter before having a tougher time generating shots the rest of the way to finish 9 for 20. Jrue Holiday was held to 4-for-14 shooting and 11 points.

Golden State again played without two-time MVP Curry, who has been sidelined since March 23 with a sprained left knee. Coach Steve Kerr called it “very likely” Curry would play Game 2 in the best-of-seven series.

Klay Thompson, who led Golden State with 27 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first half that made it 76-48. But New Orleans ended the second on a 7-0 run and Darius Miller’s 73-foot heave at the halftime buzzer counted after review, getting the Pelicans within 76-55 at the break. They hit another buzzer-beater to end the third but it was way too late.

Rajon Rondo had nine points and dished out 11 assists for New Orleans.

But once Golden State got going in transition, Oracle Arena started rocking and the Pelicans couldn’t keep pace — with tempo being something the Warriors know is key this series. They opened the second with a 13-5 burst and were on their way.

Davis, who averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in a first-round sweep of Portland, made 5 of 7 shots in the opening period.

Green has been brilliant on the boards as Golden State keeps taking its defense up a level. He had games of 19 and 18 rebounds in the final two matchups of a five-game series with San Antonio in the first round.

Nick Young started at forward for the Warriors while 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala remained in the starting lineup in place of Curry as Golden State won a franchise-record 13th straight postseason home game.


The Warriors swept the Pelicans in the only other playoff meeting between the franchises in the 2015 first round as Golden State went on to capture its first championship in 40 years.

HIGH-FLYING W’S

Golden State had its highest scoring postseason first half as well as second quarter. The 76 points topped 73 against Phoenix on May 4, 1994, while 41 in the second bested 40 scored against Utah on May 11, 2007.

Golden State shot 13 for 20 in the second, making four 3s and 11 of 14 free throws.

PALS

Kerr and Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry shared a nice greeting and laugh before the series got going. As general manager in Phoenix, Kerr worked with Gentry and then made him the first call to be his top assistant when Kerr became head coach of the Warriors before the 2014-15 season.

CURRY OUT

As usual, Curry insisted he “feels great and he’s ready to go,” said Kerr, who is encouraged his superstar point guard feels so good.

“Just made the decision based on giving him the extra few days and the fact he only scrimmaged yesterday,” Kerr said. “You’ve been out five weeks and we’re playing in the playoffs, I don’t think one scrimmage is enough, even though he feels great, he wants to play and pleaded his case. But we’re going to sit him tonight and very likely he’ll play Game 2.”

Curry returned to full practice with contact Thursday and only scrimmaged 5 on 5 for the first time Friday, and Kerr prefers that Curry get additional on-court time at full speed Sunday.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: The Pelicans’ 126-120 win April 7 in Oakland snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Warriors. “We approach the game as if everybody’s washed their hands of everything that has happened,” Gentry said. … Gentry received a technical at the 8:43 mark of the first quarter. … The Pelicans shot 7 for 23 in the second. … New Orleans surrendered 110 or more points in the last 11 regular-season games against Golden State.

Warriors: Green topped Tom Gola’s three playoff triple-doubles for most in franchise history. … Young, who played 21 minutes, made a 3 on his first shot and another late in the game on his second attempt. … Golden State has won 25 of the last 27 meetings overall vs. the Pelicans. … Jay-Z and Beyonce sat courtside.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Curry hobbled after Warriors roar back on Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — Stephen Curry was in good spirits, but a little annoyed with himself as he stood on crutches in Golden State’s locker room.

After all the work he’d done to lead the Warriors back from a 21-point deficit in New Orleans, he went for a steal that his team didn’t really need in the waning moments, stepped on E’Twaun Moore’s foot and sprained his right ankle.

“It was a dumb play,” Curry said. “I got caught on E’Twaun’s shoe as I went by him and couldn’t catch myself. So, obviously, it hurt.”

Curry scored 31 points, going 5 of 11 from 3-point range, and had 11 assists before his injury, and the Warriors outscored the Pelicans by 30 in the second half for a 125-115 victory Monday night.

Klay Thompson added 22 points and Kevin Durant and Draymond Green each had 19 for the Warriors, who won their fourth straight. After it was over, Curry went for X-rays on his right ankle, which was surgically
repaired earlier in his career. Curry said the images “thankfully” came back negative.

He also joked that his first thought after the injury was that he wouldn’t be able to play golf with his father on Tuesday in Charlotte, where the Warriors were headed next for a game on Wednesday night.

More somberly, he added that he always looks forward to his team’s annual trip to Charlotte and “playing in front of people that have seen me grow up.”

“Hopefully, my fans still show up and support the other guys if I’m not out there,” he said.
Jure Holiday scored 34 and Moore had a career-high 27 for the Pelicans, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

DeMarcus Cousins added 19 points and 11 rebounds — but also had seven turnovers — before both he and Durant received their second technical fouls of the game while bickering in the final minutes, resulting in ejections for both players.

Cousins didn’t talk after the game. Durant did, criticizing himself for losing his cool, but also stressing that he never felt as though he was close to coming to blows with Cousins and that the officials “threw us out of the game pretty quick.”

“I’m not going to fight nobody. I don’t want to get injured. I don’t want to get suspended. I love to play,” said Durant, ejected from a game for the second time in four days and third time this season. “I’ve got to be more poised. I can’t let anybody take me off my game. I’ve been in the league for too long.

Especially somebody like Cousins. We know that he’s feisty. We know that he’s emotional. We know that he plays that way, so I can’t get involved with that.”

Trailing 69-49 at halftime, the Warriors opened the third quarter with a 15-0 run, with Durant scoring six on two dunks and a fadeaway, while Thompson and Green each added a 3-pointer.

From then on, the game was tight, with the Pelicans only briefly rebuilding a lead as large as 11 on Holiday’s back-to-back 3s late in the third quarter.

Golden State regained the lead at 96-95 on Andre Iguodala’s steal and breakaway dunk with 8:31 left.

New Orleans briefly went back up 95-92 when Darius Miller hit a 3 while being fouled by Curry for a four-point play, but Nick Young responded with consecutive 3s to give Golden State the lead for good, and Green added a pair of late 3s to help seal it.

“As bad as this loss is — and I don’t look at anything as a moral victory — what we keep proving is that we have the ability to play extended minutes with the world champs,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “Now what we have to do as a team is that we have to now find a way to not do it for 32 minutes or 36 minutes, but we’ve got to do it for 48 because that’s the only way you can beat that team.”

TIP-INS

Warriors: C Zaza Pachulia missed his first game this season because of soreness in his left shoulder. … Patrick McCaw left in the second quarter after getting hit on the nose when Cousins followed through on a blocked shot. The Warriors said X-rays were negative, but McCaw did not return.

Pelicans: Star forward Anthony Davis missed his second straight game with a strained left adductor. New Orleans won its previous game without him in Portland on Saturday. … New Orleans matched Golden State’s 16 made 3s.

MOMENTUM SWINGS

New Orleans led by 13 late in the first quarter after a 6-0 mini-run featuring Holiday’s dunk and Cousins’ 3, but the Warriors responded with a 17-3 surge to take a 37-36 lead early in the second quarter.

Curry scored the first six points of the spurt, starting with his 21-foot jumper as he was fouled by Tony Allen.

Rajon Rondo, who had 10 points and 11 assists, helped New Orleans pull away again, assisting on two 3s by Holiday and hitting a pair of his own during a 25-5 run. Rondo’s 10th assist came on Moore’s 3, which put New Orleans up by 21 in the final minute of the first half.

UP NEXT

Warriors: Visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Pelicans: Host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
___

More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
___
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source: sports.inquirer.net

Durant shines in return from 19-game absence, knee injury

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant’s first touch after missing 19 games with a knee injury? Just a driving baseline reverse and emphatic one-handed slam, and KD triumphantly returned to finish with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in helping the Golden State Warriors beat the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans 123-101 on Saturday night.

With two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry sidelined by a bruised left knee, Durant shined in 31 minutes and the balanced Warriors won their 14th straight game — the longest unbeaten run in the NBA this season. He hadn’t played since getting hurt Feb. 28 at Washington, then resumed full practice Friday.

Klay Thompson scored 20 points, Draymond Green had 13 points and eight rebounds, and the do-everything Warriors sure look poised for another deep playoff run.

Coach Steve Kerr joked about “three meaningless games” remaining after the NBA’s top team wrapped up the best record and No. 1 seed in the Western Conference during Wednesday’s win at Phoenix.

Still, the Warriors absolutely played to win.

Durant raised both hands to the sky and pointed when he took the court before tipoff. His shot wasn’t quite as consistent as usual — 6 for 15 and missing all four of his 3-point tries — as he eases his way back to top form after such a long layoff.

He had an assist to Zaza Pachulia on Golden State’s second possession and dished on consecutive third-quarter Warriors baskets, even bringing the ball up court on occasion in Curry’s absence and gave everybody a lift just by being back in the lineup.

Shaun Livingston started for Curry and had 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting and six assists, Andre Iguodala added 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Ian Clark (17) and JaVale McGee (16) also scored in double digits.

Kerr kept Green and Thompson below 30 minutes as planned.

Jordan Crawford scored 21 points off the bench and Alexis Ajinca added 17 as New Orleans had nine healthy bodies playing on a back-to-back following a loss at Denver on Friday.

Golden State’s Matt Barnes suffered a sprain to his right ankle and foot in the second quarter and didn’t return. X-rays were negative.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: New Orleans lost its seventh straight to the Warriors, 17th in 18 overall and ninth in a row at Oracle Arena. … The Pelicans shot 5 for 20 on 3s and were outrebounded 53-34.

Warriors: Golden State posted its 50th 30-assist game with 36, joining the 1984-85 Lakers as the only teams to do so in 50 games. … The winning streak is the third-longest in franchise history behind 28 in a row and 16 consecutive victories, all in the past three years. … Curry — expected to return Monday — and Durant were each averaging 25.3 points coming into the game. … Rapper Drake sat courtside next to Warriors GM Bob Myers, a few seats down from owner Joe Lacob and Hall of Famer Jerry West.

BEAT-UP NEW ORLEANS

The Pelicans were missing DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Omer Asik, E’Twaun Moore and Quincy Pondexter.

As far as Davis’ sore left knee is concerned, coach Alvin Gentry said, “At this stage of the season we’re not going to risk anything.”

And the other ailments: Asik (illness), Cousins (right Achilles tendinitis), Moore (sprained left ankle), Pondexter (left knee).

UP NEXT

Pelicans: At Lakers on Tuesday in the third of four road games to end the season.

Warriors: Host Utah on Monday looking for an eighth straight home win vs. Jazz and eighth overall in the series.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Westbrook climbs ladder with 60th career triple-double

LOS ANGELES, United States — Russell Westbrook notched the 60th triple-double of his career in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 114-105 victory over New Orleans on Wednesday to pass Larry Bird forth fifth place on the all-time list.

Westbrook posted 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to fuel the Thunder with his 23rd triple-double of the season and his second in three victories over the Pelicans this season.

Despite Westbrook’s effort — and another early injury exit for Pelicans star forward Anthony Davis — New Orleans challenged until the end.

Oklahoma City led by 22 points in the second half but withstood a 9-0 Pelicans scoring run in the fourth quarter that cut the deficit to 105-100 with 5:33 remaining.

Davis reinjured his right thigh late in the second quarter and finished with eight points and five rebounds.

Guard E’Twaun Moore paced the Pelicans with 18 points. CBB

source: sports.inquirer.net

Curry drops 40 in reigning champ Warriors' opening night win

League MVP Stephen Curry got his new campaign off to an emphatic start as the 2015-16 NBA season got under way.

Curry became the first reigning MVP in history to score 40 or more points on opening night as the Golden State Warriors began their title defense by thumping the New Orleans Pelicans 111-95.

It was an evening of celebration for Golden State. The players received their 2014-15 championship rings in a pregame ceremony.

The Warriors, a 67-game winner in the regular season a year ago, won without coach Steve Kerr, who attended the ring ceremony but then headed to the Warriors locker room, where he rested an ailing back. Assistant Luke Walton coached the game.

Curry finished with 40 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

He nailed four three-pointers during a 24-point, first-quarter explosion, as the Warriors thrilled a crowd that had just taken its seats following the raising of the franchise's championship banner. —Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner ruled competent

NEW ORLEANS  - A judge ruled on Thursday that the 87-year-old billionaire who owns the New Orleans Saints may continue to control the National Football League team he has owned for 30 years after denying a petition by his daughter and two grandchildren to have him declared mentally incompetent.

Tom Benson, who also owns the National Basketball Association's New Orleans Pelicans, prevailed in the case following an eight-day trial that pitted family members against him in a New Orleans courtroom.

In a six-page ruling, Orleans Civil District Judge Kern Reese noted that in addition to considering psychiatric evaluations of Benson by three physicians and hearing testimony from witnesses for both sides, he had personally interviewed Benson in April to assess his condition.

During that meeting, "Tom Benson had clarity of thought and volition, despite some memory lapses ...," Reese wrote, adding that he had "listened carefully" to Benson's responses "and concluded the capacity to make reasoned decisions was present."

Benson's daughter Renee Benson Benham and two grandchildren, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc, filed the lawsuit in January claiming that Tom Benson is "infirm" and "unable to consistently make reasoned decisions" regarding his assets.

The suit charged that Tom Benson's third wife, Gayle, has blocked family members' access to him and is manipulating his decisions.

The family's action followed Tom Benson's move in December to ban their participation in running either of his teams, and to name Gayle Benson as his successor in owning them.

Thursday's ruling does not end the family battle as related litigation continues in a probate court in San Antonio, where the family members are fighting Benson's attempt to remove their ownership shares in the sports teams and other businesses from trusts created over a period of years for their benefit.

Benson's lawyers have also brought a related suit in federal court in New Orleans.

Tom Benson had been grooming his granddaughter Rita LeBlanc, 38, to succeed him as owner and chairman of both teams, but their relationship turned rocky last year as a rift between her and Gayle Benson, whom Tom Benson married 11 years ago, grew more serious and as he developed health issues.

"I cannot wait for training camp to start in late July," Tom Benson said in a statement after the ruling.

Randy Smith, who represents Benson's daughter and grandchildren, said they were "disappointed" with the ruling, and did not say if they would file an appeal.  — Reuters