New Orleans @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 4, 2017 ) Golden State 125, New Orleans 115

The Golden State Warriors look to continue their repeated domination of New Orleans on Saturday when they host the Pelicans in a contest vitally important to New Orleans. The Pelicans have lost the last 10 meetings, 20 of the past 21 and a win would help them move closer to one of the Western Conference's eight playoff spots.

New Orleans posted a pivotal 122-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday and is one of three teams tied for fifth in the Western Conference while also being just one game ahead of the ninth-place Denver Nuggets. "It’s the way it has been the last month and month-and-a-half," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters of the logjam after Friday's win. "It's not anything unusual, it is kind of what we're accustomed to right now." The Warriors continue to stagger down the stretch and fell to 6-8 over their last 14 games with a 126-106 road loss against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday that prompted coach Steve Kerr to say his team didn't care. "Just trying, cutting hard, driving, maybe boxing out once in a while," Kerr told reporters while criticizing his team. "Just in general, it's hard to win an NBA game if you don't put forth an effort at all."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE PELICANS (45-34): All-Star Anthony Davis had 33 points and 11 rebounds against the Suns, and received superb help from fellow forward Nikola Mirotic, who scored a season-best 31 points and matched his career high of 16 rebounds. Mirotic is averaging 28 points over the past two games and has scored 20 or more in three of the past four contests while pointing toward the attention paid to Davis as one of the factors in his recent stellar play. "The defense against A.D. collapses," Mirotic told reporters after Friday's game. "So me and the rest of the guys have to be ready to make those shots when we have those shots. When he's rolling, most of the time I'm open."

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (57-22): Golden State remains without All-Star point guard Stephen Curry (knee) but Kerr doesn't want to hear about injuries being a factor in the poor stretch. Kerr repeatedly expressed that he was "embarrassed" after the drubbing by the Pacers and stated that maybe "we'll try next week" when the playoffs start. "He's the head coach, and he has the right to (call us out)," Warriors backup point guard Shaun Livingston told reporters. "He sat there the whole game and watched what was right in front of him. So we've got to be better. We've got to be better."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Warriors last lost at home to New Orleans on April 24, 2012 when they dropped an 83-81 decision.

2. Golden State SF Kevin Durant is averaging 30.5 points over the past two but is just 17-of-48 from the field while sinking all 23 free-throw attempts.

3. New Orleans G Jrue Holiday registered 22 points and 10 assists against Phoenix and has topped 20 points in four of the past seven games.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 112, Warriors 109