NEW ORLEANS – Four from the left wing, one from the right wing, and two more from the Smoothie King Center corner.
Those were the locations of Moses Moody’s seven 3-pointers in the first quarter of Sunday night’s 124-106 victory over the Pelicans, the most triples in a single quarter by any player this season.
It was just two off Klay Thompson’s all-time record of nine when he scored 37 in an unforgettable quarter against the Kings in 2015.
“That’s actually the first time in my life having eight threes,” Moody said. “I swear I’ve hit seven three like 30 times. I’ve got an uncle that told me when I was young, the most he had was eight, so I’ve been trying to get it my whole life. It was like he put a curse on me, and I’d never gotten it. So I’ll probably give him this jersey.”
The Warriors won their third consecutive game as Moody poured in a career-high 32, while Jimmy Butler scored 18 and Brandin Podziemski put in 19 off the bench. Buddy Hield (11 points) made his first 3-pointers since last Tuesday. Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears scored 16 while Trey Murphy added 20.
The Warriors led 44-28 after one quarter and, after a lackadaisical start to the next period, finished the second quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 61-49 at the break.
During that second quarter, Draymond Green — and later the entire Warriors team — went over to the baseline as the Warriors forward confronted a fan.
After scoring 95 combined points in two games in San Antonio, Steph Curry was 0-of-6 in the first half and finished with just nine points. He made his first shot midway through the third, when a cherry-picking Butler shoveled a pass to Curry for the easiest two points of his career.
The Pelicans – or whatever was left of them – entered the game battered and seeking new leadership.
Zion Williamson and former Warrior Jordan Poole were both ruled out with injuries. Meanwhile, the home team played its first game after firing Willie Green. James Borrego led as the interim coach.
New Orleans fell to 2-11. The Warriors improved to 9-6 and will have a day off before playing in Orlando for the fifth leg of a six-game road trip on Tuesday.
Kerr sympathizes with fired Green
Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared his thoughts on the Pelicans’ firing of Green, who had been an assistant on his Warriors staff for three years and was a part of two title teams from 2016-19.
“I’m disappointed for him and his family, and we saw each other last night and had a chance to talk, and he was, of course, incredibly poised and mature about it, and realistic,” Kerr said. “He’s been in the league a long time as a player and coach, so he knows what this is about. He knows this is kind of how things go when things don’t go well.”
Kerr later called Green, who went 150-190 in a little over four seasons, an “incredible human being and great friend” and called Green the kind of man that players would want to play for.
Looney’s impact
Looney was never an All-Star for Golden State during his time in the Bay, but he was one of the most important players on a franchise that won three titles with him on the roster.
Looney’s quiet leadership resonated with younger players on the roster, with both Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis crediting him for helping them acclimate to the league as young big men. Looney did not play on Sunday.
“He was a great vet for me,” Post said. “I asked him a lot of questions about things on and off the court …. He was a guy who never complained about anything, and always showed up to work. He was great (for) me last year.”
Injury updates
Jonathan Kuminga participated in Sunday’s optional morning shootaround by getting up jumpers, but was ruled out of the game as he dealt with a sore knee. Kerr said the fifth-year forward is “day-to-day.”
De’Anthony Melton ran sprints as he rehabbed from an ACL tear. He is expected to be re-evaluated within the next week.
