3 things to know: Warriors’ Steph Curry, Draymond Green show off superpowers in win over Pelicans, 123-108

After securing a win over the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors landed in New Orleans for a two-game run against the Pelicans. With the Pelicans sitting two spots behind the Warriors in the Western Conference standings, both contests will carry potential playoff implications.

In the first game of the series, the Warriors wasted no time with a strong start to jump on the Pelicans. Steph Curry built Golden State’s lead with a scorching 41 point effort on 14-of-26 shooting from the field in 35 minutes. The seven-time All-Star drilled eight triples on 18 attempts to go along with eight assists and four rebounds.

Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 32 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field. Yet, it wasn’t enough to slow down the trio of Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.

Despite sealing a 123-108 victory, the Warriors aren’t done in New Orleans, with part two of the back-to-back slated for 5 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

Fast start

When the Warriors have suited up for meaningful games throughout the 2020-21 campaign, Steve Kerr’s squad has had problems falling behind in the first quarter. In New Orleans, the Warriors came out strong, building an 18 point lead in the opening quarter.

Curry got hot early, dropping 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. While Golden State’s offense charged to a 39 point quarter, New Orleans had trouble securing the basketball. In the first quarter, the Pelicans committed seven turnovers in the opening 12 minutes.

Draymond Green

While Curry handled Golden State’s scoring efforts, Green helped control the floor on defense and as a passer. The former Defensive Player of the year recorded a triple-double with 15 assists, 13 rebounds and 10 points in 37 minutes against the Pelicans. Green added three steals and two blocks on the defensive side of the floor.

Arena of Heroes

On Monday, Golden State’s contest with New Orleans served as the debut broadcast of ESPN’s “Arena of Heroes” – a new alternate broadcast featuring Marvel superheroes. The broadcast has special graphics and effects throughout the game, including on-screen reactions with famous Marvel catchphrases like “Hulk smash” after dunks.

“Recruited” players were awarded “hero points” for different achievements to be named Marvel’s Arena of Heroes champion. Green edged Curry by one hero point to become Marvel’s first champion.

Via @NBA on Twitter:

Arena of Heroes also included digital appearances from Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Dr. Strange and more. Anthony Mackie of Disney’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also joined the broadcast for an in-game interview.

Related

Warriors playoff scenarios: Breaking down Golden State's playoff picture

Injury Report: Kelly Oubre Jr. (wrist) to be re-evaluated when Warriors return to San Francisco after road trip

Warriors vs. Pelicans to be featured in Marvel themed broadcast on ESPN2

List

Warriors at Pelicans (part 1): Live stream, how to watch, TV channel, rookie watch, previous result, start time on May 3