Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors
When: Monday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m ET
Where: Smoothie King Center
How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans, NBA TV
Two different winless teams with two different storylines will meet at the Smoothie King Center on Monday.
On one side is the host, Pelicans. Through the opening three games, New Orleans has lost by eight, seven and three points, respectively, the first of those in overtime. The Pelicans have battled in every contest but for myriad reasons the results went the other way.
The other side is the visiting Warriors. Long the dominant force in the Western Conference, Golden State has looked mortal this season, at best. Sunday was their low point as the Thunder handed the reigning conference champions a 28-point hammering. In two blowout losses, the Warriors have yet to lead this season.
The result on Monday night will be one side earning its first win of the season. The status of Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday is still up in the air while Golden State will be shorthanded much of the year after Klay Thompson suffered a knee injury in last season’s Finals. New Orleans’ depth showed through on Saturday when Josh Hart stepped into the starting lineup without missing a beat, scoring 23 points while knocking down five 3-pointers.
Most impressive from Hart on the night was his defense on James Harden. Serving as the primary defender on the former MVP, Harden shot just 1-for-10 against Hart on the night with two turnovers. Lonzo Ball was the next most common defender to match up with Harden and he limited the Rockets guard to 0-for-7 shooting with two turnovers as well.
Should Holiday remain out, Ball and Hart will be tasked with guarding Steph Curry and D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors’ two most potent threats. If the Pelicans duo can continue their strong defensive play, it could be the recipe for their first win of the season.
