Curry drops 34 to lead Warriors over Pelicans in Game 1

Despite the best efforts of Anthony Davis' fourth-quarter heroics, the Golden State Warriors managed to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-99 on Saturday thanks to the continued brilliance of Stephen Curry.

It was an off-night for Curry's 3-ball, but the MVP-candidate still found a way to dominate. Curry scored 34 points, four rebounds and five assists to lead the the Warriors to a win in Game 1. 

Turning Point

The Warriors looked to cruise to an easy win after holding a 17-point edge heading into the fourth. However, that's when Davis caught fire, scoring 20 points in the final frame. 

The Pelicans went small by pairing Davis with sharpshooter Ryan Anderson in the frontcourt, which afforded Davis enough space to operate on the interior. That allowed him to wreak havoc in 1-on-1 scenarios.

Davis finished with 35 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in the losing effort. He shot 13-of-23 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the field.

Star Performer

Curry was tremendous and the Warriors needed him to be. Golden State fell apart every time Curry subbed out, as backup point guard Shaun Livingston finished with just two points and a minus-21 in 13 minutes of action.

Curry and fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson finished with a combined 55 points and seven 3-pointers in the win.

Highlight Reel

Davis takes to the skies

Curry makes impossible layup

Series at a Glance

Game 1: Warriors 106, Pelicans 99
Game 2: Monday, April 20, 10:30 p.m. ET
Game 3: Thursday, April 23, 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET
Game 5*: TBD 
Game 6*: TBD
Game 7*: TBD