Game 2 of the Warriors' first-round series with the Pelicans was much more exciting than Game 1, thanks in large part to the return of Stephen Curry. The Warriors' dynamic guard simply makes everything more entertaining, and when coupled with a strong effort from the Pelicans, it produced a fun game. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, it ended with the same result. Curry's 28 points off the bench -- Andre Iguodala remained in the starting lineup -- helped boost the Warriors to a 121-116 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
Finishing the season with a record of 58-24, the Warriors secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. They advanced to the second round with relative ease, winning the series 4-1, despite playing without Curry. As for the Pelicans -- who took the No. 6 seed, thanks to a 48-34 record -- they were the first team to advance to the second round, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
Playoff Series Schedule:
Game 1 in Oakland: Warriors 123, Pelicans 101
Game 2 in Oakland: Warriors 121, Pelicans 116
Game 3 in New Orleans: Friday, May 4, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 4 in New Orleans: Sunday, May 6, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 5 in Oakland: Tuesday, May 8, TBA, TNT (if necessary)
Game 6 in New Orleans: Thursday, May 10, TBA, ESPN (if necessary)
Game 7 in Oakland: Monday, May 14, TBA, TNT (if necessary)
Golden State wins if ...
They don't underestimate the Pelicans and take care of their business. The Pelicans were impressive in the first round, but the Warriors are a better team. Even if Steph Curry misses a few games, this is a series the Warriors should be able to win. But the Pelicans do have Anthony Davis, and Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo were spectacular in the first round, and that trio can make things interesting if the Warriors are in any way checked out.
New Orleans wins if ...
They continue to play like they did in round one and Anthony Davis is the best player in the series. The Pelicans were tremendous in their first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers, and they'll need to be just as good, if not better, if they want to pull the upset on the Warriors. In order for that to happen, they'll need Davis to keep leading the way. If he outplays all four of the Warriors' All-Stars, then the Pelicans might have a chance.
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