Hold on for nine seconds. That’s what New Orleans needed to do to avoid a 3-0 hole. But Steph Curry did the most Steph Curry of things, nailing a three-pointer with 2.8 ticks left to send Game 3 to overtime. The Warriors eventually won 123-119. After suffering such a deflating come-from-ahead loss, do the Pelicans have anything left to take Game 4? Find out as we preview this potentially series-clinching game.
There’s plenty more playoff games in store. Check out our complete previews for the Hawks vs. Nets and Grizzlies vs. Blazers.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans Game 4 Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 — April 18, 3:30 PM ET, New Orleans Pelicans 99 at Golden State Warriors 106
Game 2 — April 20, 10:30 PM ET, New Orleans Pelicans 87 at Golden State Warriors 97
Game 3 — April 23, 9:30 PM ET, Golden State Warriors 123 (OT) at New Orleans Pelicans 119
Game 4 — April 25, 8:00 PM ET, Golden State Warriors at New Orleans Pelicans – view all NBA lines
Game 5* — April 28, Time TBD, New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors
Game 6* — May 1, Time TBD, Golden State Warriors at New Orleans Pelicans
Game 7* — May 3, Time TBD, New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors
*If necessary
Betting on the Golden State Warriors
Steph Curry was misfiring for most of the night, but that didn’t stop him from taking (and making) the game-saving three in regulation. Curry went 10-for-29 from the field and 7-of-18 from three, as he led the Warriors with a game-high 40 points and nine assists in their incredible Game 4 win. Draymond Green, after missing out on the Defensive Player of the Year Award, finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds (seven off the offensive board).
[sc:NBA240banner ]Green and fellow forward Harrison Barnes made a living off Curry’s missed threes, jamming putback after putback to fuel the Warriors’ fourth-quarter run. Golden State outscored New Orleans 39-19 in that period. The Warriors finished with 30 second-chance points.
Klay Thompson also had a big role in lifting Golden State to the victory. He scored 28 points, the most he has in the playoffs thus far, on 43 percent shooting (50 percent from downtown). Having athletic forwards like Green and Barnes coupled with the Splash Brothers’ outside shooting make it very difficult to keep Golden State from scoring.
Despite not having a dominant power forward to keep New Orleans’ Anthony Davis in check, Golden State has outrebounded the Pelicans 46-34 on offensive rebounds and 147-133 overall in the series. If the Warriors continue to dominate on the boards, then there’s little stopping them from completing the sweep.
While the Warriors have won three-straight against New Orleans thus far in the series, they’ve been unable to cover the spread in all of those games.
Banking on these red-hot Warriors to win it all? Create a betting account now and cash in on the thrilling NBA playoffs.
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans has put up plenty of fight in its first trip to the playoffs under the Pelicans name. But that trip is on the verge of getting cut short after taking a gut-wrenching blow from the league-best Golden State Warriors. The Pelicans led 89-69 heading into the fourth quarter of Game 4, but were out-hustled on the way to the overtime loss.
Anthony Davis was once again in excellent form, scoring 29 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. It’s his third double-double in his last four games against Golden State dating back to the regular season. Davis is averaging 30 points and 11 rebounds in the playoffs thus far.
But what gave New Orleans the most success was the excellent play of its bench. Ryan Anderson scored 26 points, while Norris Cole and Jrue Holiday scored 16 and 10 respectively. The Pelicans bench outscored the Warriors’ usually reliable reserves 58-26.
There’s just one day in between Games 3 and 4, which could limit Curry, Thompson and Green from getting plenty of rest after logging in 40+ minutes in Game 3. With fatigue possibly setting in on the Warriors’ stars, expect homecourt advantage to play in the Pelicans’ favor as their home crowd helps give them that extra lift.
The Pelicans have covered the spread in six straight home games dating back to the regular season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Pelicans cover, but Golden State completes the sweep.
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