The Golden State Warriors hope to retain the inside track to the NBA Cup semifinals when they visit the injury-ravaged New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
With NBA Cup home wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies under their belt, the Warriors will be looking not only to remain as the only unbeaten team in West Group C but also improve their point differential should it become needed.
The Pelicans beat the Denver Nuggets in their only previous home game in the in-season tournament. At 1-1, they are tied with the Nuggets and Mavericks for second place in the group, but could drop the Warriors back to the pack with a win Friday.
New Orleans has struggled big-time since its 101-94 victory over the Nuggets last Friday, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers, Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers by a total of 74 points. They are coming off a 128-100 shellacking at Cleveland on Wednesday.
One positive from Wednesday’s game was the play of rookie guard Antonio Reeves, who exploded for 34 points in a season-high 40 minutes. The Kentucky product had totaled just 23 points in his first eight games, and wasn’t even on the active roster when the Pelicans were swept in a pair of October games at Golden State.
But with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado all out of the lineup, Reeves took advantage of an opportunity coach Willie Green said he worked hard to get.
“It’s a credit to (coach) Jodie Meeks and our Birmingham Squadron (G League) team,” Green insisted. “(Reeves) coming into the gym every day, getting his shots up, paying attention, and gameplan discipline. It all pays off when you get on the floor.”
Already winners of six road games this season, the Warriors have no such health issues. They are missing only De’Anthony Melton, ruled out of the season this week with a partially torn left ACL.
Lindy Waters III has stepped into Melton’s starting spot and contributed at least two 3-pointers to each of Golden State’s last three games. He had 10 points in Wednesday’s 120-97 home win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Buddy Hield (11 points) and Jonathan Kuminga (10) were among five others who also scored in double figures for the Warriors. They did so off the bench.
Keeping them together was a big part in the decision to promote Waters, Warriors coach Steve Kerr noted after Wednesday’s win.
“He’s a good fit next to that group,” Kerr said of a starting lineup that includes Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. “I like bringing Buddy off the bench. The bench group has been really good this year. Starting with Lindy allows us to keep the bench intact and gives us another shooter and defender in the starting lineup.”
Waters had 21 points as a reserve and Hield 28 as a starter when their roles were reversed in a 124-106 home win over the Pelicans last month that tipped off a two-game, same-site series.
Hield (21 points) returned to the bench for the rematch, a 104-89 Golden State triumph that allowed them to complete a sweep without Curry, who was nursing a strained left ankle.