The New Orleans Pelicans are fighting for their playoff lives. The Golden State Warriors just want to get back to full strength and defend their championship.

”Tonight we’re playing a team that desperately needs to win Andre Holmes Jersey ,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ”You can tell the teams around the league that have to win. They’re getting after it. They’re playing for their season. Our season begins next week.”

Anthony Davis outdueled Kevin Durant down the stretch on the way to 34 points, and the Pelicans snapped a 10-game losing streak to Golden State with a 126-120 win over the Warriors on Saturday night.

Durant scored 19 of his 41 points in the third quarter to go with 10 rebounds and five assists. He made big 3-pointers with 6:39 remaining and at the 4:52 mark that got Golden State to 112-111, but the Pelicans kept answering.

The NBA Finals MVP made things more difficult after halftime on Davis, who also had 12 rebounds for the Pelicans while having his way with the Warriors’ defense from the start.

The Pelicans beat the Warriors for the first time since April 7, 2015, in New Orleans, and at Oracle Arena for the first time since April 24, 2012.

”I just thought we played about as perfect as you have to play to beat them,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. ”They’re just such a great team. They just keep coming at you. We were never comfortable.”

Durant also committed a costly late turnover that led to E’Twaun Moore’s pullup jumper with 23.5 seconds left. KD lost the ball for another key steal less than a minute earlier but immediately got a rebound on the other end that led to Andre Iguodala’s dunk on the other end to get Golden State to 121-119 with 1:01 left.

Quinn Cook, who has been an admirable fill-in for the injured Stephen Curry after his promotion from the G League, added 21 points with five 3-pointers in the Warriors’ final regular-season home game.

This was primarily the KD and Davis show.

Davis shot 13 for 24, while Nikola Mirotic made four quick 3-pointers and six in all on the way to 28 points. Jrue Holiday scored 25 and Rajon Rondo dished out 17 assists.

Durant tied the game on a layup just before halftime but Davis scored again to give him 19 points on 9-for-14 shooting in the first half. New Orleans led 67-65 after sizzling shooting by both teams – 59.6 by the Pelicans to 57.4 for Golden State and seven 3-pointers apiece.

Draymond Green just missed a triple-double for the Warriors, finishing with 11 points Derek Watt Jersey , 10 rebounds and nine assists. He had seven of Golden State’s 17 turnovers.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: New Orleans had 39 assists, Moore adding seven. … G Ian Clark missed his second straight game – this one against his former team – because of a sprained right ankle. … New Orleans has given up 110 or more points in each of the last 11 regular-season meetings vs. the Warriors.

Warriors: Iguodala, who had been uncertain to play with a sore left knee, received a second-quarter technical. … Golden State will go with a center by committee for now, with Kevon Looney earning the start Saturday. … Shaun Livingston was out to rest his sore right knee. The Warriors had won their previous five regular-season home finales. … Golden State dropped to 10-4 in the first game of back-to-backs. … Warriors President and COO Rick Welts was honored for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

CURRY PROGRESS

Stephen Curry, dressed and with backpack on, hopped up and down a few times on his tender left knee in the locker room with a big grin alongside athletic trainer Chelsea Lane. They’re going on the quick road trip to Phoenix.

Curry did some light work on the court then iced his injured left knee before the game while munching popcorn at his locker.

He’s still a week from having his sprained knee re-evaluated and Kerr ruled him out for the first round of the playoffs.

”We’ll talk a week from today,” Kerr said. ”There’s nothing to report.”

ROSTER MOVE

The Warriors waived forward Omri Casspi after the game. Casspi has been sidelined by an ankle injury and Golden State needed to clear a roster spot in order to make room for Cook to be on the playoff roster.

CLOSE RACE

The Pelicans had a four-day break and dropped from fourth place to eighth in the Western Conference standings.

That’s how wild this final stretch has been and still could be.

”It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” Gentry said. ”I’ve never seen anything like it.”

UP NEXT

Pelicans: At Clippers on Monday.

Warriors: At Phoenix on Sunday looking for a 15th straight victory vs. the Suns and playing their 14th and last back-to-back.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana can’t wait for another **** at the Cleveland Cavaliers, especially in front of the Pacers‘ home crowd

“It’s going to be incredible being on the floor,” Indiana center Myles Turner said. “I think we’re in a great spot. We wanted to go 2-0 but we did our job and got one. I can’t wait to get in front of the Indy fans.”

Pacers point guard Darren Collison expects it to be loud Friday for Game 3 of the first-round playoff series that is tied at a game apiece.

“We can’t wait,” Collison said.

After winning Game 1 by 18 points, the Pacers fell behind 16-1 in Game 2 as LeBron James scored all 16 of those points Jerry Hughes Jersey , including the first 13 for either team. The Cavaliers, never trailed, but had to hold on at the end for a 100-97 victory Wednesday night.

James scored nearly half of the Cavaliers’ points with 46.

“We have to do a better job of containing him, which is easier said than done,” Collison said. “We made enough plays to give ourselves a chance to win despite his 46 points.”

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue’s focus was to get James going early. Lue switched his starting lineup in Game 2, inserting shooters J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver in place of Rodney Hood and Jeff Green. Korver, who scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting on 3-pointers, started just four games in the regular season. Lue said he plans to stick with that lineup, praising the job Smith did on Victor Oladipo, the Pacers leading scorer, and the fact Korver took two charges from Oladipo.

Oladipo picked up two fouls in the first 62 seconds and had to go the bench. Oladipo finished with 22 points, 10 fewer than he scoring in the Pacers’ win in Game 1 on Sunday.

“I need to see more out of a lot of guys,” Lue said.

Lue understands he can’t expect James to shoot that well (17 of 24) the rest of the series.

“Them being aggressive is something we expected Melvin Ingram Jersey ,” Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. “They put shooters on the perimeter, and LeBron was going to put his head down and go to the basket. We didn’t do a good job tonight of keeping the ball in front of us. We made adjustments and got back into the game. The first quarter they basically came out and hit us in the mouth.”

And James issued the biggest punch, scoring 20 in the first quarter as the Cavs led 33-18 entering the second period. It was a stark contrast to the Game 1 loss, when the Cavs trailed 33-14 after one quarter.

“I just felt like I was in a really good rhythm, so just tried to see how long I could stay in that zone and just try to make a mark on the game early on, especially after the way we started in Game 1,” James said.

Pacers forward Thaddeus Young said the Pacers drew confidence from the fact that they had a shot to win despite James’ huge offensive outburst.

“In order for them to win this game, he had to be aggressive,” Young said. “He made some tough shots. In the first quarter, he made three or four fadeaway jumpers. He made some contested 3s. If he’s going to make those contested shots, it’s going to be a long series.”

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who scored 15 points in Game 2, jammed his left thumb late in the game while deflecting a pass. X-rays after the game were negative. Lue and Love said they expect Love to be fine for Friday’s game.

Pacers reserve Joseph Young is listed as questionable with a sinus infection.

James Matt Schaub Jersey , Smith and Love were on the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA championship team. Korver joined the trio on the 2017 team, which reached the finals.

“It’s a fine line,” James told Cleveland.com, “because now all the new guys come off the bench. But, yeah, the lineup we had (Wednesday night) worked, we all know each other and play well.”

For the Pacers, more focused play is a must.

“We were sloppy with the basketball,” McMillan said. “With 17 turnovers, you are not winning. We’re better than that. You can’t give them 17 extra attempts. We’ll make adjustments and come back and be ready for Friday.”

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