Stephen Curry
Dec 13, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is defended by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. USA TODAY Sports/Derick E. Hingle

The Golden State Warriors (22-4) concluded their five-game road trip with a 113-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans (8-18) on Tuesday despite a below-average shooting night for the western conference powerhouse.

Stephen Curry, the reigning two-time MVP, had 30 points and 7 assists, but his fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, went 6/16 from the field and struggled to find his rhythm against the Pelicans. See final box score on ESPN.

Forward Draymond Green registered a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals, besides playing lockdown defence on Pelicans star Anthony Davis. In fact, it was Green's steal on Davis during the dying seconds of the game that sealed the victory for Golden State. Davis reacted angrily at Green's steal and was slapped with a technical foul which resulted in Warriors icing the game.

Golden State Warriors experiment with lineup

Kevin Durant had 27 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists from 37 minutes on the floor. In Zaza Pachulia's absence, Warriors coach Steve Kerr started shot-blocking centre Javale McGee at the 5 spot. McGee had 9 points and 5 rebounds from 16 minutes on the floor and did a fair job of protecting the rim. “We’ll take a look at JaVale tonight. It’s early in the season, and we’re experimenting a bit and looking at a few different combinations," Kerr had said before the game, via ESPN.

For the Pelicans, Davis had 28 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks but also committed six turnovers -- including a few critical mistakes in the fourth quarter which helped the visiting team in a game that came down to the wire.

Both teams struggled to score in the fourth quarter -- as the Warriors edged New Orleans 18-15 after trailing the Pelicans 65-58 at the half time break. Curry's hot shooting in the third quarter helped the Warriors regain control of the game but the Pelicans were within striking distance entering the final period.

Jrue Holiday, who replaced Tim Frazier in the starting lineup, had a forgettable night, making only 3/12 field goals besides committing defensive lapses while guarding Curry. Langston Galloway, however, had a season-high 20 points and 5 rebounds while coming off the bench. Rookie Buddy Hield had 7 points from 18 minutes.

The Golden State Warriors will now return home to host the New York Knicks on Friday.

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