Moses Moody scored a career-high 32 points, including eight 3-pointers, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 124-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center. Moody described the performance as the result of offseason work paying off.
“I put a lot of work in this summer,” Moody said. “Thinking that you’re getting better, thinking that you’re just going to make a difference, but it’s really validating when it actually does.”
Moody also reflected on hitting eight 3-pointers for the first time. “I’ve hit seven threes like 30 times in my life,” he said. “My uncle told me the most he hit was eight, so I’ve been trying to get it my whole life. I’ll probably give him this jersey or something.”
The guard discussed his connection with former teammate Kevon Looney. “That’s my dog. He’s been looking out for me since I came in the door,” Moody said. “It’s cool to connect and have those conversations, hang out with him.”
Moody praised Looney’s leadership style, noting his observational skills. “He’s not the stand-on-the-table, rally-everybody type, but he knows what guys are used to doing. He notices when somebody’s off and knows when guys need a shot. He’s always paying attention and figuring out ways to look out for us,” Moody said.
The Warriors opened the game with a 17-point first-quarter lead, fueled by Moody’s hot start. Stephen Curry struggled from deep, making two of 11 attempts for nine points, but Moody’s performance and Golden State’s depth kept the team ahead.
Jimmy Butler added 18 points and 10 assists, Brandin Podziemski scored 19, Al Horford had 11 points, and Draymond Green grabbed 10 rebounds. Golden State shot 42.9% from three-point range and dominated the boards with 47 rebounds, committing just 14 turnovers.
New Orleans fought back in the second quarter, but the Pelicans could not overcome Golden State’s shooting and depth. Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 20 points, Jose Alvarado added 18, and Jeremiah Fears contributed 17.
The victory improves the Warriors to 9-6 and sets up a Tuesday matchup against the Orlando Magic, while New Orleans hosts Oklahoma City on Monday.
