The Golden State Warriors were blown out at home by the New Orleans Pelicans 141-105 – the Warriors’ worst home loss in the Steve Kerr era – as their season continued to unravel.
Jonas Valanciunas’ 21 points led eight Pelicans in double figures including all five starters in a one-sided result that prompted boos from the home fans for a second-straight game at Chase Centre.
Steph Curry was limited to just 15 points, while Moses Moody’s 21 off the bench was the most of any Warrior.
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With it, Kerr’s side finished its homestand 2-5 to slide all the way down to 12th in the West ahead of a four-game away trip starting against an in-form Chicago on Saturday (all times AEDT).
It comes as Golden State prepares to welcome back Draymond Green from suspension in hopes the veteran forward will provide a spark to revive its season, while the Warriors are also without Chris Paul due to injury.
Regardless, the Warriors have big calls to make ahead of the February 9 trade deadline as to whether or not they decide to shake up their roster in an attempt to extend the franchise’s golden run.
The Pelicans meanwhile improved to 23-15 to sit sixth in the West.
TATUM’S 45 POINTS LEADS CELTS PAST WOLVES IN OT
Jayson Tatum drained a go-ahead layup then drilled a dagger three-pointer as the Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in overtime in a battle of the NBA’s best teams.
A duel between the league’s worst produced its own thrills as San Antonio’s superstar rookie Victor Wembanyama notched his first career triple-double to lead the Spurs to a 130-108 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Tatum scored 26 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter and overtime and the Celtics improved to 18-0 at home, a first for the storeyed franchise.
“You live for those moments, you want to do whatever you can to help your team win,” Tatum said. “In the back of my mind I didn’t want to lose at home yet.” Jaylen Brown added 35 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics. Jrue Holiday scored 12, drilling a three-pointer that put the Celtics up 111-109 with 25.9 seconds left in regulation.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards drained two free throws to tie it and Tatum missed a desperation shot at the buzzer.
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Edwards finished with 29 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 with 13 rebounds for Western Conference leaders Minnesota, whose 26-11 record is second only to East-leading Boston’s 29-8.
Minnesota cut a 10-point deficit to one at halftime and took the lead on Towns’s three-pointer to open the third quarter.
The Timberwolves were up 106-97 with 3:35 left in regulation. “The crowd got behind us, the energy got going,” Tatum said. “That was a fun ballgame towards the end.” In Detroit, French prodigy Wembanyama scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists, notching his first triple-double in just 21 minutes on the floor.
He connected on just six of his 16 shots from the field but made four of five free throws and showed off his sophisticated playmaking skills as he surpassed his previous season high of seven assists.
“He’s a very good passer,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the player who has already displayed outstanding scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking skills in his first season. “He was a good passer before he got here.”
WEMBY BECOMES FIFTH-YOUNGEST PLAYER TO RECORD TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Six days past his 20th birthday, Wembanyama became the fifth-youngest NBA player to post a triple-double – reaching double digits in three key statistical categories in just 21 minutes.
“It’s beautiful when we play like that as a team and get it all together,” said Wembanyama, who said his 10 assists were the product of cohesive offence by the team against a Detroit defence focused on him.
“My teammates did the right cuts and made the right shots,” he said. Wembanyama, who played without a turnover, completed his triple-double with his 10th assist, a smooth dish to Doug McDermott who knocked down a three-pointer that made it 109-86 early in the fourth quarter.
“I’m glad I didn’t know,” McDermott said. “I heard the crowd erupt. I assumed it was something Victor did and not something I did.”
The Spurs, last in the Western Conference, snapped a five-game losing streak. The Pistons, last in the East, have lost six since ending their record-equalling 28-game losing streak.
Elsewhere, Sacramento centre Domantas Sabonis notched his league-leading 33rd double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds and also added seven assists in the Kings 123-98 rout of the Hornets in Charlotte.
The Atlanta Hawks needed overtime to pull off a 139-132 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, who were again without reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, fuelled by 28 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, beat the Heat 128-120 in Miami, the hosts playing without star Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin.
ALL RESULTS
WIZARDS 104 PACERS 112
SPURS 130 PISTONS 108
KINGS 123 HORNETS 98
TIMBERWOLVES 120 CELTICS 127 (OT)
THUNDER 128 HEAT 120
76ERS 132 HAWKS 139 (OT)
ROCKETS 119 BULLS 124 (OT)
PELICANS 141 WARRIORS 105
NUGGETS 111 JAZZ 124
RAPTORS 120 CLIPPERS 126