From the very beginning of the game, the Warriors were on the back foot, and after the first quarter, the game seemed to be over early. Curry's slump has limited the Warriors' offensive state, and with this momentum, it will be a problem for the Warriors to even enter the playoffs. On January 11, 2024, Beijing time, the Golden State Warriors lost 105-141 to the New Orleans Pelicans. Curry finished with 15 points, 1 rebound and 6 assists.
The Warriors' recent state has been up and down, especially Curry's shooting touch, which has caused problems for the Warriors' offense, and how to adjust the state of the team and core players through the game is Kerr's biggest concern now. Even when it comes to the use of role players, the Warriors need to act quickly, or the team won't be able to get back to good shape. In response to Zion's strong attack on the inside, Kerr put Looney back into the starting lineup, but this adjustment affected the Warriors' defensive rotation on the outside, McCollum hit two three-pointers in a row, and Valanciunas hit two consecutive three-pointers from beyond the three-point line. The Warriors, on the outside, couldn't cope with the Pelicans' height and could only score under the basket through passes. After Jones hit a three-pointer, the Warriors were already trailing the Pelicans by 11 points. The Warriors' offense was unable to show its power, which had a lot to do with Curry's slump. After entering January, Curry's three-point shooting rate was only 31%, which was the worst month since the start of the season.
Thompson's three-point shot eased the Warriors' offensive crisis, but they did not do a good job of limiting the Pelicans' outside line, and Jones hit a three-pointer again on the counterattack, and the Pelicans maintained a double-digit lead. With 6:04 left in the first quarter, Curry finally found an opportunity on the outside and hit his first three-pointer of the game. After Podemsky broke through, he passed back to Wiggins, but Wiggins, who was short of attention, did not react and directly gave the Pelicans a return violation. In the first quarter alone, the Warriors trailed the Pelicans by 19 points, and the big score behind also made Curry, who was sitting on the bench, pale. After that, Kerr replaced Moody in the hope of chasing points with a lot of defensive counter-attacks. Moody did not fail in his mission, and fought back-to-back to score 12 points in the first half. However, the Warriors' offense did not improve, after all, relying on this kind of single-point offense cannot really pose a threat to the Pelicans.
Although Curry has regained his three-point shooting touch, except for him, the Warriors' overall offense is still not much better, and the Pelicans are relying on the inside and outside connection to suppress the Warriors on the offensive end. As an important part of the Warriors' outside defense, Thompson has been actively restricting Ingram in the matchup, and even disrupted Ingram's shooting many times, but except for him, the Warriors' overall defensive rotation is not good. Ingram misplaced Moody for a foul, and the Pelicans still held a 15-point lead. Thompson hit a three-pointer from the corner, while the Pelicans scored four straight points from Valanciunas under the basket. Curry's driving layup slid out of the basket and Valanciunas put the ball in under the basket to give the Pelicans an 18-point lead. The Warriors were clearly disrupted by the Pelicans' offensive surge, and they began to shoot indiscriminately on the offensive end, while the Pelicans continued to play steadily on the offensive floor, Valanciunas blocked and dunked with one hand, which was his 10th consecutive point in the third quarter.
Murphy hit a three-pointer shortly after the start of the fourth quarter, and by this time the Pelicans had a 25-point lead over the Warriors. The Warriors, who had no hope of chasing points, quickly replaced Curry and others, and the game entered garbage time. In the end, the Pelicans defeated the Warriors on the road. For the Warriors, the team's current predicament still has no way to be solved, and if this momentum continues, let alone compete for the championship, or even enter the playoffs.