SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The New Orleans Pelicans, playing without three regulars, were run off the floor Monday night in a 138-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
New Orleans rested Zion Williamson one night after a 139-123 defeat against the Clippers in Los Angeles, while forward Trey Murphy III, who poured in 26 against the Clippers, was held out to protect his knees. Yves Missi was also out.
The Warriors led 72-43 at the half. Stephen Curry needed barely 20 minutes to score 25, hitting four 3-pointers, and climbed past DeMar DeRozan to No. 16 in league history in career points. Brandin Podziemski also scored 25 and Yaxel Lendeborg added 23 points and seven rebounds as Golden State won its eighth in a row and improved to 8-3.
Derik Queen paced New Orleans with 16 as a reserve, while Dejounte Murray scored 12. The loss was the third straight for the Pelicans, who had won four in a row before this stretch.
No Golden State player logged 30 minutes. Guard Jordan Poole and Lendeborg, who both played at Michigan, swapped jerseys after the final horn.
The game got away from New Orleans almost from the opening tip. Golden State pushed the pace, turned Pelican mistakes into quick baskets and piled up 37 assists, its third straight game with at least 30. The Warriors also put three scorers at 20 or more for a second time this season.
For New Orleans, the lopsided night capped a rough Western swing on back-to-back nights, with the regulars sitting and the bench absorbing most of the minutes. The Warriors lost guard Brandon Williams to a left hamstring injury in the second quarter.
The Pelicans return home to host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
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