New Orleans Pelicans fall apart in disastrous loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game Three 123-119

The New Orleans Pelicans could not hold onto a 20-point lead to start the fourth quarter as they fell in overtime to the Golden State Warriors 123-119.

New Orleans played out of their minds after the Warriors started the game on a 17-9 run. The Pelicans outscored the Warriors from the 6:28 point of the first quarter until the end of the third quarter 80-52. However, the Pelicans let a huge lead evaporate with poor late game execution and the inability to box out, giving the Warriors ten offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry hit a three to tie the game and force the game to overtime, where the Warriors finished the job.

Anthony Davis finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. Ryan Anderson had an electrifying game, scoring 26 points off the bench.

Other Observations:

• Let’s start with the obvious. This hurts. The Pelicans played so hard throughout the night and made so many fantastic plays. It looked like a night to celebrate. The Warriors are just an insanely talented team that can score a massive amount of points in just a short amount of time. There’s still a long way to go for this team to grow, however it doesn’t ease the pain any more.
• The Pelicans did a great job all night at forcing the Warriors on long range shots. Golden State shot 41 three-pointers in the game tonight. Sure, they made 14 of them, but all those misses really helped get the Pelicans transition game going early. That seemed to be the strategy all night. It worked for the most part.
• The shining light of this game was the bench. Even after taking away Ryan Anderson’s 26 points, the Pelicans other three bench players (Holiday, Cole and Cunningham) outscored the Warriors bench 32-26. They were on fire. They executed the gameplan very well when they were on the floor together. This team has a lot of players who are capable of getting the ball into the basket with ease when they get their shot. A huge positive to look at going forward in the future.
• The big thing that needs to be stated: No need to overreact. Take time to breathe and let out the frustration after this loss. Blowing a 20-point lead is tough. Is there one single person to blame? No. A lot of things did not break the Pelicans way and a lot of youth showed in key moments. It happens. These games happen. It’s not just one single player or coaches fault. As a team, the Pelicans lost a chance at a massive win.
• The Pelicans will look to rebound and try to get their first win of the series as they play Game Four at home Saturday. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 PM CST.

Tweet of the Night: