Every time New Orleans dented Golden State's lead, the Warriors responded.
Until the Pelicans ran out of time.
Stephen Curry netted 19 of his 34 points in the first half and Golden State held off New Orleans 106-99 in Game 1 of this Western Conference quarterfinal.
A 14-0 Pelicans run that bled into the early stages of the fourth quarter trimmed a 25-point deficit to 11. Curry and Klay Thompson, however, hit consecutive 3-pointers to begin a 7-0 swing and temporarily put the game out of reach again.
A 7-0 New Orleans spurt later in the frame cut the gap to 93-83 with under four minutes left, but the Warriors kept the Pelicans at bay down the stretch.
New Orleans was within four in the final minute but never got over the hump.
[SportsNetwork.com]
