The Warriors won their 16th consecutive game on Sunday, and at no time during this streak have they felt more seriously threatened.
Rallying late in the fourth quarter to force overtime, the Warriors owned the extra period and finally pulled out a 128-122 overtime win over the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Stephen Curry essentially carried the Warriors to victory in a game they very nearly lost. He finished with a game-high 34 points, 8 of which came in OT.
Five other Warriors finished in double figures, led by Klay Thompson's 26 points. Andre Iguodala put in 20, Shaun Livingston finished with 12, Draymond Green with 11 and Marreese Speights added 10.
The Warriors (21-2) closed regulation with a 12-4 rally, tying the game 111-111 to force OT. They then outscored New Orleans 17-11 in the five-minute extra period.
The Warriors had invited defeat in regulation, committing 20 turnovers, off which the Pelicans scored 23 points.
The Pelicans (11-12), playing without star forward Anthony Davis, for crying out loud, were led by shooting guard Tyreke Evans, who poured in 34 points, while fellow guard Jrue Holiday added 30.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Curry wins the honor for his work in OT. Thompson also gets a piece of the honor.
But the Warriors got a particularly nice offensive bump from Iguodala, insofar as he has been so inconsistent with his shot. His 20 points (on 7-of-12 shooting) were a season-high, and he added five rebounds.
Iguodala was brilliant in the first half, shooting 6-of-8 and finishing with 14 points.
TURNING POINT:
In a game featuring 16 ties and 10 lead changes – and was in doubt until the final horn in overtime – the pivotal point did not come until overtime.
The Warriors opened OT with a 9-1 blast, with Curry scoring 5 of the 9 points, and held on to finish the Pelicans.
The Warriors led by as much as 11, the Pelicans by as much as eight.
INJURY UPDATE:
F Harrison Barnes took an elbow to the face in the first half, resulting in a lacerated mouth. He left the game, took two stitches, and returned in the second half.
C Andrew Bogut (right knee tendinitis) and F David Lee (strained left hamstring) did not suit up. Bogut, suffering from lingering effects of flu, went through a brief pregame workout. His status will be updated Monday.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Warriors move on to Memphis, where they face the Grizzlies on Tuesday night at FedEx Forum.
