Dub Hub: Draymond Green backs up trash talk with a pivotal comeback victory vs. Pelicans

Mar 29, 2023 - 1:00 PM

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Good Morning Dub Nation,

It was a tale of two halves for the Golden State Warriors’ 120-109 comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. The first half featured some of Golden State’s worst basketball of the season. They were outscored 63-46 at the half as the Warriors committed 14 turnovers leading to 20 points off fast break opportunities alone for the Pelicans. By the end of the second quarter, frustrations were clear as Draymond Green got into it with several players on the Pelicans roster.

Evidently, that sequence by Green sparked life into Golden State as they played with a sense of urgency and pride that is expected from the reigning NBA champions. They would go on to outscore New Orleans 74-46 in the second half and complete the comeback victory with the Warriors’ defensive ace showcasing why his leadership is so important to this team. As one would imagine, Green had a lot to say after the game, including a nice appreciation for Warriors general manager Bob Myers and the respect he has from players on the team.

Aside from Green, the other driving force behind the Warriors’ win was none other than Stephen Curry. He finished the night with a game-high 39 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the field including 8-of-15 shooting from the three-point line. He also added in 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals in a total of 37 minutes on the court. Although it started off bad, Curry credits the team’s “competitive spirit” and relentless approach to winning for keeping the Warriors in the game.

Although many Warriors’ players graded out well in this one, Kevon Looney in particular deserves extra credit for the impact he has on the team. He routinely does whatever it takes to help the Warriors win basketball games and on Tuesday, that meant coming off the bench and being the big body to fight for extra possessions on the boards.

The win brings the Warriors to a record of 40-37 with just five games to go in the regular season. They are out of the play-in game for now, but they only lead the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves by just half a game – noteworthy considering that the Timberwolves own the tiebreaker. Golden State will attempt to keep this momentum going as they finish off this homestand with Friday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

Here are the rest of today’s stories:

In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:

• Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga’s defensive masterpiece against the Pelicans
• Player grades: Warriors vs. Pelicans
• Warriors’ huge second-half comeback stuns Pelicans, 120-109
• This is a pretty important game
• Andrew Wiggins working out everyday, ‘there’s hope’ that he returns

Other Warriors News:

• Draymond Green sparks Warriors to win with 17th tech, scrum (ESPN)
• Kerr, Warriors hopeful Andrew Wiggins will return this season (ESPN)
• Draymond Green, Steph Curry highlight Bob Myers’ value after Warriors’ win (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Ridiculous Steph Curry slingshot pass resulted in perfect Steve Kerr reaction (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Klay Thompson sets career high in 3-pointers in 1st full season since 2-year injury layoff (Yahoo Sports)

NBA News:

• Sources: Wade, Nowitzki, Gasol, Popovich, Hammon, Parker elected to HOF (ESPN)
• Bradley Beal under police investigation after spat with fan (ESPN)
• How a New Orleans conference became a ‘retreat’ for NBA execs, present and future (The Athletic)
• Michael Jordan’s big score: why his NBA ownership tenure is far from a failure (The Guardian)
• What is happening to the Mavericks should never happen (SB Nation)