All five starters scored in double figures, led by 22 points from shooting guard Klay Thompson, and the Warriors hung on in the final seconds Tuesday night to pull out a 102-101 victory over the Pelicans at New Orleans Arena.
The Warriors benefited from a remarkable performance from veteran center Jermaine O'Neal. Making his first start of the season for the suspended Andrew Bogut, O'Neal scored 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds.
Power forward David Lee finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, point guard Stephen Curry totaled 16 points and nine assists and eight rebounds, and Harrison Barnes added 14 points.
The Warriors were outshot (47.1 percent to 45.5 percent) and outrebounded (47-41) but scored 21 points off 16 New Orleans turnovers while committing only 10 turnovers themselves.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE: O'Neal played by far his best offensive game of the season, utilizing his 6-foot-11 height to offset the considerable length of Pelicans big man Anthony Davis on the low block.
Yet no Warrior was more impactful than backup forward Draymond Green, who came off the bench to play terrific defense (including three steals, three blocks, three assists and two rebounds) and score seven points in 24 minutes.
TURNING POINT: With 2:13 left, O'Neal grabbed a rebound and scored on a follow shot for a 102-99 lead the Warriors never lost.
INJURY UPDATE: Four players did not make the three-game road trip: Forward Andre Iguodala (strained left hamstring, out indefinitely), point guard Toney Douglas (stress reaction, left tibia, one-two weeks), center Festus Ezeli (offseason surgery on right knee, out indefinitely) and center Ognjen Kuzmic (surgery on right pinkie finger, out at least six weeks).
WHAT'S NEXT: The Warriors play their second road back-to-back of the season on Wednesday, facing the Mavericks in American Airlines Center. Dallas (9-6) is led by veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki and former Warriors guard Monta Ellis, who is averaging 23.5 points per game and 5.3 rebounds -- and is shooting 50 percent from the floor.
