Moses Moody delivered a breakout performance with career highs of eight 3-pointers and 32 points, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 124-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night — a game that also marked James Borrego’s debut as the Pelicans’ interim head coach.
Jimmy Butler added 18 points and 10 assists for Golden State, which built a lead as large as 25 in the second half, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The Warriors’ arrival in New Orleans came just one day after the Pelicans dismissed fifth-year head coach Willie Green.
Brandin Podziemski contributed 19 points, Al Horford scored 11, and Draymond Green grabbed 10 rebounds while also engaging in a brief courtside confrontation with a fan during the second quarter.
Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 20 points, followed by Jose Alvarado with 18 and Jeremiah Fears with 17.
Golden State’s hot shooting proved decisive, as the team went 24-of-56 (42.9%) from beyond the arc. The Pelicans, by contrast, struggled from deep, hitting just 8-of-29 (27.6%). The Warriors cruised despite an unusually quiet outing from Stephen Curry, who scored nine points on 2-of-11 shooting after posting 46 and 49 in his previous two games.
Moody fueled a dominant first quarter, hitting seven 3-pointers — already surpassing his previous career high for an entire game — helping the Warriors build a 17-point lead. New Orleans rallied in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 53-49 behind a 10-0 run featuring Herb Jones’ free throws, Trey Murphy’s dunk, and two layups from Fears.
Just before the free throws, Draymond Green exchanged heated words with a fan near the baseline, though officials and ushers quickly de-escalated the situation without issuing any penalties.
Golden State closed the half with eight straight points, punctuated by Butler’s steal-and-score to take a 61-49 advantage into the break.
Up Next
Warriors: Visit the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
Pelicans: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.