Warriors vs. Pelicans 2018 recap: Pelicans thrash Dubs in must-win Game 3, 119-100

Jrue Holiday said it best. The Pelicans play some of their best basketball with their back against the wall. No team ever comes back from an 0-3 playoff series deficit. New Orleans dropping Games 1 and 2 was close enough.

The Pelicans drubbed the Warriors all game long. Anthony Davis dominated on both ends with 33 points, 18 rebounds and four steals. Rajon Rondo jawed with Draymond Green, then dished out a playoff career-high 21 assists. And Jrue Holiday did virtually everything else for the Pelicans to boost their confidence heading into Game 4. The result was a convincing 119-100 victory for New Orleans.

Here’s how it shook out.

3:56 — PLAYOFF CAREER-HIGH 21 ASSISTS FOR RONDO

4:59 — It almost doesn’t make sense how badly the Pels are thrashing the Dubs at this point.

5:23 — Rondo out here dropping dimes like he’s at a wishing well.

6:45 — You’d move out of the way, too, it’s OK.

Rondo and Anthony Davis are putting on a damn show. Rondo has 18 whole assists. AD’s got 29 points, 17 assists and three steals. It looks a lot like this:

New Orleans is thoroughly washing Golden State here in Game 3, even though KD reminded us all with one nasty, deep 3 that the Warriors are only a few baskets away from reducing their lead to rubble. Steph Curry was hot in Game 2, but he’s only 4-of-17 here in Game 3. Aside from Durant and Klay Thompson (22 points apiece) no Warriors players have taken control. That can change in the fourth, when Golden State tends to play its best basketball.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

Golden State looks a little sluggish. Or maybe it’s the Pelicans, who came out swinging in Game 3 in front of their home crowd and haven’t stopped throwing punches here in the third.

Somehow, someway, Klay Thompson has 20 points through two quarters. It almost doesn’t feel like he’s been in the game much nor taken a lot of shots. But this is the same guy who scored 60 points while holding the ball for only 90 seconds.

3:15 — Solomon Hill: 9 points, 2 minutes, 3-of-3 from 3

9:25 — Nikola Mirotic just came up with all glass on his first three-point attempt. Not the best start for Mr. No Beard.

Welp, if Steph Curry is doing things like this, the Pelicans are in trouble:

The New Orleans Pelicans return home trying to make a series out of their second-round NBA playoff matchup with the Golden State Warriors, who lead 2-0 heading into Friday night’s Game 3 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (8 p.m., ESPN).

The Pelicans kept things close in Game 2 on Tuesday, only losing by five after getting blown out by 22 in Game 1. But they are in desperate need of a win at home, where they were 24-17 during the regular season.

New Orleans only has 20 free throw attempts through two games, compared to 59 for Golden State. Neither a Anthony Davis nor Jrue Holiday, who combined for 49 points on Tuesday, attempted a free throw in Game 2.

“For the most part, if we can get to the line, we can control pace,” guard Rajon Rondo told the New Orleans Advocate. “We’ll figure out better ways to get to the line. I don’t know if we got to the penalty the second half. We’ve got to do a better job of trying to draw fouls.”

Stephen Curry returned from an MCL sprain in Game 2 to score 28 points in 27 minutes off the bench in his first game since March 23. The Warriors are 42-10 when Curry starts a game this season.

Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans

Game time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Announcers: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Lisa Salters

Online streaming: Watch ESPN