New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson dunks next to Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney during the first half of an NBA game Friday, April 12, 2024 in San Francisco.
(Reuters) — CJ McCollum capped a New Orleans barrage of 3-pointers by sinking his eighth of the game with 1:02 remaining in San Francisco, stalling a Golden State Warriors rally and propelling the Pelicans into a 114-109 triumph in a Friday matchup filled with playoff-position ramifications.
A second win in two nights in Northern California improved the chances of the Pelicans (49-32) finishing in the coveted sixth spot in the Western Conference and clinching a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (45-36) took a giant step backward toward the 10th and final play-in spot, a position that requires two road wins in order to make the playoff field.
The Pelicans used a 45-point, second-quarter explosion to extend into as much as a 16-point lead, and they held a 109-97 advantage with 3:15 remaining after Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones buried consecutive 3-pointers.
Stephen Curry nearly rallied Golden State all the way back, sandwiching two layups around a 3-pointer to close the gap to six, then nailing a 3-pointer to make it a 112-109 game with 56.8 seconds remaining.
Curry had a chance to draw the Warriors even after a Zion Williamson miss, but he couldn’t connect on a running 3-pointer from straight away with 13.5 seconds to go.
Murphy then capped a 24-point night by making two free throws with nine seconds left to ice New Orleans’ fourth straight win.
The Warriors led by as many as 11 in the first quarter, then again at 28-17 when Chris Paul hit a short jumper on Golden State’s first possession of the second period.
The former interpreter for Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani made his first appearance in court Friday on a bank fraud charge accusing him of stealing $16 million from the LA Dodger to cover illegal gambling debts.
But the rest of the half was all New Orleans, which got five 3-pointers from McCollum, three from Murphy and one apiece from two other players as part of its game-flipping second quarter that opened a 62-48 halftime advantage.
The Pelicans never trailed again, sending the Warriors to their 20th home loss in 40 dates this season.
McCollum paced the Pelicans with 28 points, 24 coming on 8-for-13 shooting from 3-point range. New Orleans made 20 threes as a team, outscoring the Warriors 60-39 from beyond the arc.
