The league’s top team will be on the road when the Golden State Warriors (63-14) head to the Smoothie King Center to play the New Orleans Pelicans (41-35). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Apr. 7 and can be seen on CSN-BA and FSN-NO.
The Pelicans are are expecting a better outcome after their 99-90 loss to the Trail Blazers on Saturday. Tyreke Evans had a good outing, putting up 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds for New Orleans. The Warriors, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 107-92 loss against the Spurs on Sunday. Stephen Curry had a team-high 24 points.
Over the last five games, Evans has taken his game to another level for the Pelicans, averaging 18.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers.
It’s a matchup of two different tempos, as the up-and-down Warriors (ranked first in the NBA in possessions per game) square off against the grind-it-out Pelicans (27th).
The Warriors have emerged victorious in all three games against the Pelicans this year, including a 112-96 win the last time these two teams met. Harrison Barnes was the game’s top overall scorer with 22 points.
The odds for New Orleans and Golden State are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Pelicans come into this game 41-35 Straight Up (SU) and 43-33 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 25-21 SU and 27-19 ATS against the Western Conference.
Over on the other bench, the Warriors have 63-14 SU and 46-30-1 ATS records. Golden State performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning an 8-2 record. Offensively, they average 109.7 points per game, which is tops in the league. The Warriors have controlled the glass with an average of 44.7 rebounds per game, fifth in the league. The Warriors are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA at 1.94. Moving on to Golden State’s defense, blocking shots is an area where it has excelled. The Warriors average 6.0 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league. Golden State is the best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.5 per game.
The Warriors’ win over New Orleans in their last clash bumped their SU record over the last 10 meetings to 10-0. Furthermore, the Warriors hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-2-1. In these last 10 matchups, Golden State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, with New Orleans controlling all three of these areas once.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
Golden State ranks second in points allowed per road game (100.9 PPG), while New Orleans ranks 15th in points per home game with 101.8.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a winning record (29-14) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Golden State Warriors are 8-6 when they don’t hit triple digits.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a losing 12-21 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Golden State Warriors are 55-8 when they hit triple digits.
The Warriors have the best defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 98.2. The Pelicans’s offense ranks a solid ninth, with an offensive rating of 105.4.
Golden State beats New Orleans in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Warriors average 101.1 possessions and 1.084 points per possession, while the Pelicans average 94.4 possessions with 1.054 points per possession.
The Golden State Warriors have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with an EFF% of 53.8%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the New Orleans Pelicans have an abysmal 2-12 record.
Among all teams, Golden State is the best when it comes to assists, registering an average of 27.4 per game. New Orleans ranks slightly lower in total assists, at 10th (22.1 per game).
Among all teams, New Orleans is the best at blocking, registering an average of 6.2 per game. Golden State ranks slightly lower in total blocks, at fourth (6.0 per game).
The New Orleans Pelicans are a top-15 offensive rebounding team, currently ranked 10th for the season. The Golden State Warriors rank near the very top (fourth) in defensive rebounding.
The Golden State Warriors earn an average of 9.4 steals per game and are ranked fourth. The New Orleans Pelicans have an 8-12 record when they allow at least 9 steals.
