Stephen Curry put on a show in the Golden State Warriors comeback win over the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night. Curry’s 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists helped the Dubs battle back from being down 20 points just before halftime.
The star guard’s scoring outburst, combined with Draymond Green‘s competitive fire, helped Golden State turn the game around and secure the 120-108 wins over the eighth-place Pelicans.
After the gritty win, Green sat down reporters and praised Curry for helping give the Warriors the much-needed boost.
“If there’s one guy I always know is going to ride with me, it’s Steph,” he said via the LetsGoWarriors YouTube channel.
Green played a solid game himself. The 33-year-old scored 8 points, dished out 13 assists, and grabbed 6 rebounds in the March 28 matchup.
Tuesday’s win over New Orleans could prove to be a big one for Golden State. Heading into the meeting, the two teams were separated by just a half game in the Western Conference standings. The Warriors’ rally not only helped them increase their cushion over the Pelicans, but also gave them a half game lead over the seventh seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
With just five regular-season games remaining, every game counts in the wild West.
Stephen Curry Praises Draymond Green’s Fire in Warriors Win
It was an exchange of compliments for Curry and Green during their postgame availabilities. The 3-point King was sure to highlight the former Defensive Player of the Year’s competitiveness as part of the reason the team was able to battle back.
“It just brings out that competitive fire that we have demonstrated for a decade now, and just understanding what it takes to will yourself out of a tough situation,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “I think I heard him [Green] say, ‘Not a lot of people can talk when they’re down 20.’ But it’s built off of a belief and an understanding of who we are at our best. That kind of competitive will that we’ve had. We’ve been in a lot of different situations over the course of these years, and for whatever reason, no matter how bad we’ve played, and how inconsistent we’ve been, we can pull off a night like tonight. So, he’s well aware of that and has a feel for- when it was a little sleepy in the first half, he got us going.”
Steve Kerr Credits Draymond Green in Warriors Win Over Pelicans
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed a similar message to that of his star guard. When speaking with reporters, Kerr credited Green with fueling the team’s comeback with his intensity.
“Draymond willed us to victory tonight,” Kerr said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “I mean, his intensity, his frustration early with the way we were playing. Mad at the world. Yelling at everybody – their bench, our bench, [and] me. And frankly, we all deserved it. That first half was as poor a half as we’ve played all year, and we weren’t engaged, and that’s what makes Draymond special. It’s not just the amazing basketball IQ and defense and playmaking, but it’s just his sheer will. And he was the key tonight.”
