Warriors vs. Pelicans watch guide: Lineups, injuries and player usage

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OAKLAND -- Less than 24 hours after their most impressive win of the season, the Warriors return to the court Wednesday night to face the New Orleans Pelicans.

Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 6 p.m. with Warriors Outsiders, followed by Warriors Pregame. Tipoff at Oracle Arena is scheduled for 7:40.

The Warriors (30-14) returned to the top of the Western Conference on Tuesday in Denver with a rousing 142-111 rout of the Nuggets, who had been in first place. The win also extended the Warriors’ winning streak to five.

New Orleans (21-23) has been among the league’s most disappointing teams. Though star big man Anthony Davis is having a fabulous season, it has not translated to consistent team success. The Pelicans have had three losing streaks of at least four games and have not been above .500 since Nov. 23.

The teams met earlier this season, with the Warriors posting a 131-121 victory on Oct. 31 at Oracle.

PROJECTED STARTERS

Warriors
F Kevin Durant
F Draymond Green
C Kevon Looney
G Klay Thompson
G Stephen Curry

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Pelicans
G E’Twaun Moore
F Julius Randle
F Anthony Davis
G Jrue Holiday
G Elfrid Payton

INJURY REPORT

Warriors
DeMarcus Cousins (left Achilles’ tendon rehab) and Damian Jones (left pectoral muscle surgery) are listed as out.

Pelicans
No injuries listed.

ROTATION OUTLOOK

Warriors
With no starter exceeding 31 minutes on Tuesday, the Warriors should be fairly well-rested for the second night of a back-to-back set. All 12 healthy players saw action.

Coach Steve Kerr likely will stay with the Curry-Durant combo sharing court time. The Warriors are 3-0 since making the move and both players are thriving.

Curry scored a game-high 37 points in the previous meeting and his career average of 25.6 per game against New Orleans is fifth-highest against any team.

Expect to see a similar defensive strategy applied to Davis as was applied to Denver’s Nikola Jokic. The Warriors will send occasional double-teams, especially inside 12 feet.

Given the pace at which the Pelicans play (sixth-fastest in the NBA), expect Kerr to make liberal use of his bench.

Pelicans
Though Davis totaled 46 points and 16 rebounds in a win Monday over the Clippers, the most effective players were Holiday (plus-24) and Randle (plus-21). Randle clearly has found a home, and Holiday has All-Star skills and is one of the three best two-way guards in the league.

PF Nikola Mirotic, replaced by Randle in the starting lineup, is in the Sixth Man role and is shooting a disappointing 34.7 percent from deep.

Moore is shooting 41.7 percent from deep, while Payton leads the team at 45.5 percent.

The Pelicans attack the offensive glass, ranking second in the NBA in that category.

Former Warrior Ian Clark, shooting 31 percent from deep and 36.1 percent overall, has fallen out of the rotation.

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