Warriors easily dispatch Pelicans in Game 4: 3 takeaways

The Golden State Warriors dominated the New Orleans Pelicans with an empathic Game 4 victory in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

Any hope that the New Orleans Pelicans would make it a series against the Golden State Warriors following their Game 3 victory was quickly dashed in Game 4. The Warriors jumped out to a 37-22 lead after the first period, winning going away, 118-92

Steve Kerr made an immediate adjustment, inserting Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup, putting the five best Warriors on the court from tip-off. The adjustment led to less defensive breakdowns that were present with JaVale McGee starting and more shots falling.

There was little the Pelicans could do on either side of the floor. Kevin Durant, who struggled by his standards in Game 3, was unstoppable. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson didn’t even have absurd shooting nights that they are known for. But Golden State moved the ball around at will, found the best available shot, and made the Pelicans defense pay.

Anthony Davis scored 26 points on 22 shots.

The Pelicans made a push in the second quarter, getting the lead down to four. However, the Warriors pushed back in a big way with their customary monster third quarter. Golden State outscored New Orleans 33-19 in the third, effectively putting an end to any hope the home team may have had.

Takeaways

Kevin Durant is a problem for New Orleans. This was always going to be Durant’s series. On paper, you could envision Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo doing their best to slow down the Splash Brothers. Davis could body up Draymond Green when push came to shove but who would guard Durant?

It’s an answer New Orleans never had and it showed in Game 4. The Pelicans threw everyone they could at the reigning Finals MVP. It didn’t matter.

Durant finished with 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists. That doesn’t include the number of hockey assists he had out of the post. It’s no surprise that the one game the Pelicans were able to win this series was Durant’s worst game thus far.

Golden State defense locks in. By starting with the Hamptons Five, Kerr ensured that the defensive communication would be on point. McGee can cover a lot of mistakes with his athleticism, but he was consistently burned on switches early in Game 3. The Warriors offense could not pull them out of the hole and they never recovered.

Sunday afternoon was a reminder of how good the Golden State defense can be when everyone is on the same page. They forced 19 turnovers and held New Orleans to 36.8 percent shooting from the field, including 16 percent from three.

The defending champions didn’t need big offensive performances from their All-Stars. They got exactly what they needed from them on the other end of the floor.

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Good job, good effort, New Orleans. The Pelicans managed to take a game in this series, which is pretty impressive considering the Warriors were at full strength in Game 3. They surprised everyone in the first round with a sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers. Davis showed why he’s one of the five best players in the world, Holiday emerged as a two-way star and Playoff Rondo was in the building.

It simply doesn’t matter against Golden State. It’s the Warriors world. Everyone else is just here to tell them how great they are.