Pelicans' star duo turns attention to Warriors

Pelicans' star duo turns attention to Warriors

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are off to a fast start this season for the New Orleans Pelicans.

New Orleans' one-two punch has led the team to victories in each of the first two games of the season and will look to stay in the zone on Monday night when the Pelicans face the visiting Golden State Warriors.

Williamson is averaging 23.5 points while shooting 61.8 percent from the floor, while Ingram is posting 22.5 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 51.4.

"We know what we can do," Ingram said. "We know what we can do against other players and we're going to continue to show that every single night."

The former All-Star forwards haven't had many opportunities to show what they can do together over the last two seasons. Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 campaign because of a foot injury, and he and Ingram played just 12 games together a season ago.

Williamson made 12 of 17 shots while scoring 24 points in a 96-87 victory against the visiting New York Knicks on Saturday night.

"My teammates had a lot of off-ball movement," Williamson said. "That gave me a little bit more space and I made the most of it."

New Orleans emphasized improving its 3-point shooting during the offseason and training camp, hoping to create more spacing within which Williamson and Ingram can operate.

The Pelicans made just 9 of 33 3-pointers against the Knicks but made 14 of 32 in a 111-104 victory over Memphis to start the season.

"We have a lot of talent across the board," Ingram said. "So, we have more guys on the floor that can push the pace. We've got some shooters on the wing."

The Warriors know a thing or two about having shooters on the wing. They made 18 of 45 attempts from deep in a 106-95 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

Stephen Curry, who finished with a game-high 24 points, made four 3-pointers in under two minutes late in the fourth quarter to headline a 15-2 run that gave Golden State a 100-89 lead that allowed it to cruise to the finish line.

"The fourth quarter was just about making shots, getting stops and withstanding their energy," Curry said in a postgame television interview.

Klay Thompson added 19 points, Gary Payton II had 15 off the bench and Andrew Wiggins scored 13.

Draymond Green returned from an ankle injury to play for the first time this season. He had four points, five rebounds and five assists, logging 21 minutes while playing under a minutes restriction.

"We made a bunch of stops down the stretch and Draymond was right in the middle of it all," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "That didn't surprise me because that's who he is, but it's going to take him a little time to shake the rust off."

Green's return led to Chris Paul coming off the bench for the first time in his 19 years in the NBA. Paul played with New Orleans for his first six seasons.

After losing their season opener against the Suns, Golden State beat Sacramento on the road on Friday before going to Houston. The Warriors won just 11 road games all of last season.

--Field Level Media