NBA stars Zion Williamson and Stephen Curry will go a full standard season without going head to head straight on when the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors total their four-game season series on Tuesday in San Francisco.
When the Pelicans (38-37) defeated the host Portland Trail Blazers 124-90 on Monday in the first half of a back-to-back set, they did so without Williamson, who had been out for 38 games with a strained right hamstring.
The victory brought the Pelicans within half a game of the Warriors (39-37) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (39-37) in the race for the West’s final guaranteed playoff spot. Brandon Ingram scored 29 points before retiring after just 31 minutes. By virtue of the tiebreaker based on the conference record, Minnesota currently holds the crucial sixth position.
Monday was a day off for the Warriors to recover from a costly 99-96 home loss to the Timberwolves.
When the Pelicans swept a pair of Golden State games at home in November, Williamson, who could miss the rest of the regular season, was not a big factor. He only scored 25 points and grabbed five rebounds. Golden State was tired of traveling. Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins were not with the Warriors in either of those games, which they lost by 54 points.
Green and Thompson were back for the Warriors’ March 3 home victory over the Pelicans, 108-99, but Curry and Wiggins were still missing. Thompson scored 27 points to lead the way.
Curry has since returned, but he hasn’t been at his best in Golden State’s last three games, going 2-for-8, 2-for-7, and 4-for-13 on 3-point attempts.
The Warriors won two of the three, remembering beating the Philadelphia 76ers for Wednesday to open a three-game homestand. Before losing to the Timberwolves on Sunday, they had won nine of their previous ten games at home.
The uplifting news for the Warriors in the misfortune was the Golden State season presentation of Gary Payton II, who was obtained from the Portland Pioneers in February while he was managing a stressed adductor. In Minnesota, he scored nine points in 15 minutes.
Guard Jose Alvarado (stress reaction in right tibia) remains out for the Pelicans, who continue to play a tough schedule that includes games against the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and New York Knicks following the Warriors game.
They will then play the Timberwolves on Tuesday night to end the season, a team with whom they could tie in the standings.
Five Pelicans scored in double figures on Monday, and New Orleans has won five straight heading into the season-ending contest. Jonas Valanciunas had a season-high 10 points and 21 rebounds.
