NBA Opening Night: Warriors Start Title Defense With Blowout Of Pelicans

The last time the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans met, the former dominated the latter with a playoff sweep. It was much of the same in Tuesday's night season opener, as the defending champions, led by high-scoring guard Stephen Curry, pounded the Pelicans at Oracle Arena, 111-95.

In front of a boisterous crowd, the Warriors raised their championship banner and received their title rings. Head coach Steve Kerr was at the ceremony, but didn't stay long as he rested his surgically repaired back.

Curry picked up where he left off in his MVP season scoring 40 points on 14-of-26 field goal shooting with five three-pointers while adding six rebounds and seven assists. The other half of the Splash Brothers struggled with Klay Thompson contributing just nine points on 3-9 shooting. Thompson also had seven turnovers.

In the high-scoring opening quarter, Curry scored 24 of the Warriors’ 39 points. Curry would continue his hot shooting in the third quarter, as the Warriors built a 20-point lead.

The Pelicans tried to keep pace but faltered in the succeeding quarters, getting outscored by a combined 55-40 in the second and third quarters as Golden State cruised to their first victory of the season. As hot as Curry was, his superstar counterpart couldn’t find his shots on this night. Power forward Anthony Davis scored 18 points but converted just four of his 16 shots from the floor. The Warriors also out-rebounded the Pelicans, 56-33, and 21-8 on the offensive glass.

With Thompson sputtering, Golden State's frontcourt contributed on offense with Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green finishing with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Off the bench, reserve center Festus Ezeli added 13 points.

The Warriors and Pelicans meet again Saturday but not before Golden State visits the Houston Rockets on Friday and New Orleans travels to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.