Warriors instant analysis: Melton’s big game, dunk not enough to rally past Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS – Tuesday night’s promotion at Smoothie King Center was “Y2K,” where Usher’s music blasted through the speakers and the half-empty crowd were given 2000s-style bird hats to wear. 

On the court, the Warriors and Pelicans decided to also pay homage to that low-scoring era of hoops by throwing up copious amounts of bricks in the Warriors’ 113-109 loss to New Orleans.

Golden State turned the ball over 21 times and shot just 40% and 23% from behind the arc, while the Pelicans had a 43% accuracy rate from the field.

“We had 21 turnovers and we did not execute very well offensively,” Kerr said. “The spacing was bad, and we had probably three potential layups in the first half and we didn’t run, we didn’t’ cut to the rim, we didn’t’ get to the corners. We just looked a little disjointed.”

The Warriors got as close as 104-103 with 1:47 left in the game, but Saddiq Bey pushed the lead back to four with a scooping and-one reverse layup. Three De’Anthony Melton free throws got the deficit back to three after another Pelicans score, but the Pelicans held on for the win after a few empty Warriors possessions.

Melton scored a season-high 28 points and threw down a shocking poster dunk in the second half, while Moses Moody continued to shoot well and scored 24. Brandin Podziemski came off the bench to score 16 and grab 16 rebounds. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 26 points.

Melton’s big dunk did not surprise his teammates.

“I don’t know if y’all remember, but my rookie year when he was in Memphis, that’s what he did … he was a dunker and he threw it down,” Moody remembered.

The Warriors were without Steph Curry (runner’s knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) as neither man made the trip with the team. 

That lack of firepower was apparent in the first half, as the visitors shot just 31.3% from the field and made a ghastly 23% of their triples over the first 24 minutes. Melton’s off-the-bounce game and some timely shotmaking by Moody were the only things keeping the Warriors offense afloat. 

It was only through sheer effort – and ineptitude from the cellar-dwelling Pelicans – that the Warriors were down just 46-39 at halftime. 

The Warriors even took a 58-57 lead with six minutes left in the third, but a Derik Queen layup gave the Pelicans back the advantage with three minutes remaining. The Pelicans led 77-72 while Dejounte Murray played his first game of the season. 

The Warriors ran out of steam down the stretch, while the talented but raw Pelicans made enough shots to stretch out the advantage despite Melton’s shotmaking.

“I feel solid, but I’m still taking it day by day,” Melton said. “We’ll see how tomorrow, how my body holds up.”

The Warriors (30-28) will play at Memphis on Wednesday, and then have two days off before facing LeBron James and the Lakers on Saturday.

Draymond Green returns

After missing Monday’s game with lower back soreness, Draymond Green made his return to the starting lineup against New Orleans. The results were uneven in the first half.

On one side of the floor, Green was his vintage self while matchup up against Williamson. He denied the Pelicans star advantageous position while also flying around as a weakside help defender. 

But on offense …. It was a night to forget for Green. Yes, he scored 11 points, but the Pelicans did not care. Green’s defender routinely sagged 5-to-10 feet off Green even when he had the ball, inviting harmless drives into the paint.  

That changed in the second half, when Green handled the ball far less but remained active as a screener and option for layups in the dunker’s spot.

“Normally he and Steph are playing a two-man game up there and its lethal, but without Steph, we’ve got to get him down the floor,” Kerr said. “I thought he really sprinted the floor in transition and got to the corners (in the second half).”

Green ended the night a plus-5 while shooting 5-of-11 to go with seven rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. 

Former Warriors on Pelicans

A couple of familiar faces dotted the Pelicans roster when the Warriors tipped off. Center Kevon Looney and guard Jordan Poole lined up against the team they helped win a championship.

Looney did not play a single minute, having been surpassed in the rotation by Queen and DeAndre Jordan. Poole got more playing time, coming in off the bench and scoring 12 while grabbing six rebounds. 

Kuminga’s Hawks debut

After almost three weeks of waiting and anticipation, former Warrior Jonathan Kuminga made his debut for the Hawks on Tuesday night. 

The Warriors had sent Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta in exchange for Porzingis. In his first game back from a bone bruise that had sidelined him since January, Kuminga wowed the Hawks crowd.

He scored 27 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting from the field, coming off the bench and sparking the offense in a 119-98 Atlanta victory. Hield did not play.