The top-seeded Warriors held homecourt, backing up a Game 1 win with a 97-87 victory in Monday night’s Game 2 and sending the best-of-seven, first-round series to New Orleans with a reinforced respect for the Pelicans.
After flirting with wasting a 25-point lead Saturday, the Warriors went right down to the wire with the Pelicans again Monday. Klay Thompson scored five points in 92-second span to turn a one-point lead into a 92-86 advantage with 3:34 on the clock.
The teams went without a basket for the next two minutes, until Thompson snapped the drought with a three-point play that put the Warriors ahead 95-86 at the 1:32 mark.
Thompson finished with 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting, Stephen Curry added 22 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Anthony Davis led the way for New Orleans with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Eric Gordon added 23 points of 5-for-10 three-point shooting.