
OAKLAND – The Warriors on Tuesday night opened the new season as they finished the old, by beating up a wounded opponent.
And Stephen Curry was the primary sadist, pouring in 40 points to lead the defending champs to a 111-95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans before an ecstatic sellout crowd at Oracle Arena.
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Three other Warriors scored in double figures, as Festus Ezeli put in 13 points, Andrew Bogut had 12 – before leaving with a cut over his right eye – and Draymond Green finished with 10.
Curry also led the Warriors in assists, with seven, while Harrison Barnes grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
The Warriors, feeling no negative after-effects from their pregame championship ceremony, didn’t shoot particularly well after the first quarter but walloped the Pelicans in pretty much every other category, most notably rebounds (55-32).
New Orleans star Anthony Davis, hounded all game by a brigade of Warriors led by Green, finished with a team-high 18 points but shot only 4-of-20.
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STANDOUT PERFORMER
That’s an easy one: Curry.
Curry lit up the Pelicans with 24 points in the first quarter, two off his personal best for an opening quarter. His first quarter line: 24 points (9-of-13 shooting, 4-of-7 from beyond the arc), two assists and one steal.
TURNING POINT
Trailing 44-43 with 7:31 left in the half, the Warriors reeled off a 24-5 run spanning the second and third quarters to go up 67-49 with 10:07 left in the third.
The Warriors raised the lead as high as 23 (98-73, 11:03 left) and the Pelicans never got closer than 11 the rest of the game.
INJURY UPDATE
Warriors: C Andrew Bogut (laceration over R eye) left the game in the third quarter and did not return.
F Kevon Looney (hip surgery), listed as out, will remain so indefinitely.
Pelicans: C Omer Asik (R calf strain), F Luke Babbitt (L hamstring strain), G Norris Cole (L ankle sprain), G Tyreke Evans (R knee surgery), G Jrue Holiday (rest) and F Quincy Pondexter (L knee surgery) were listed as out.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Warriors go on a two-game weekend road trip, beginning Friday night in Houston against the Rockets.