Even when the Pelicans took a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter, there was always a lingering fear that Golden State was a quick scoring burst away from erasing the deficit. At any moment, the Warriors have shown they can rattle off a ridiculous run. On Thursday, it was a 54-30 one in the final quarter and overtime to overcome the feisty Pelicans, 123-119, in Game 3 and take a 3-0 lead in the series.
Warriors vs. Pelicans final score, NBA playoffs 2015: 3 things we learned from Golden State’s 20-point comeback
This was going to be Anthony Davis’ playoff moment, but the Warriors miraculously came back thanks to Stephen Curry.
The Warriors weren't having their best night, with Stephen Curry missing a few of the looks he usually nails and their bench failing to produce. Anthony Davis, one day slated to sit atop the NBA's hierarchy, had been fantastic in front of his home crowd. Ryan Anderson was making jump shots with ridiculous degrees of difficulties.
But Golden State crept back into the game anyway, first by cleaning up the glass for second chance points and then by allowing a huge three-pointer to Curry. Up two, Davis split a pair of free throws, leaving the door cracked for Warriors heroics. Curry missed the first chance, but an offensive rebound led to this magical moment.
Many first-time playoff squads would fall apart in the ensuing overtime, but the Pelicans showed poise. Anthony Davis hit a crucial jumper after a Harrison Barnes three-pointer and then Ryan Anderson nailed one for New Orleans that made it a two-point game.
Free throws were traded, including a bizarre off-the-ball foul that gave the Pelicans one free throw and the ball back. Still down two, Anthony Davis drove to the rim but his shot was strong against tight defense. On a night that could have been all about him, his final shot fell short.
Here’s three things we learned from the game.
1. This is the NBA’s best team
On a night that wasn’t their best, against an emotionally charged squad on their electric home court led by Davis, the Warriors really ought to have lost this game. They didn’t. That’s terrifying.
It’s way too soon to anoint Golden State as anything other than the NBA’s best regular season team -- they won 67 games and earned that title. But games like this are a reminder just how special a season they’re having and just how dangerous they are when firing at every cylinder. Against a playoff team, they only needed to play Warriors basketball for one quarter and an extra five minutes, and it was still enough.
2. Ryan Anderson’s jump shot caught a fever
As he heated up especially early in the fourth quarter, Anderson was doing his best Dirk impersonation, hitting contested mid-range shots sometimes off of only one foot.
He finished with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including a huge overtime three-pointer that gave the Pelicans one final chance that they failed to capitalize on. It’s still good to see the big man come up with some crucial shots after another injury-plagued season, and nothing about the 20-point blown lead falls on his shoulders.
3. The Warriors’ bench didn’t have it
Despite being the best team, the Warriors were still outscored on the floor without Curry this regular season. The bench unit could still be dangerous without him, but it was the starting five who did most of the heavy lifting on Golden State’s path to 67 wins.
On Thursday, Shaun Livingston was a bright spot, scoring 12 points on seven shots. But microwave scorer Marreese Speights failed to ignite, shooting 1-of-7 and playing just 10 minutes. Leandro Barbosa and Andre Iguodala missed every three-point shot they attempted on their way to 4-of-14 combined shooting. Not every player will have "it" every night, but the Warriors can't have three of their four key substitutes struggle all at once. It almost cost them on Thursday. It will cost them later in this playoff run if it happens again.
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