Jimmy Butler posted 24 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 104-96 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night at Chase Center. Golden State played without Stephen Curry, who sat out with a bruised left quadriceps suffered Wednesday against Houston.
Zion Williamson scored 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting and added seven rebounds for New Orleans, while Saddiq Bey contributed 21 points. Jeremiah Fears had 16 points and six rebounds before being ejected with 44.6 seconds left for his second technical foul. Trey Murphy III missed the game due to right elbow soreness.
The Warriors struggled from deep early, hitting just 2 of 22 3-point attempts by halftime, marking a season-low 42 points in the first half and matching the worst long-range percentage in 367 games with 20 or more attempts under coach Steve Kerr. Golden State improved in the second half, finishing 12 of 47 from beyond the arc.
Jonathan Kuminga returned from a seven-game absence with tendinitis in both knees, scoring 10 points and hitting back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter. Brandin Podziemski added 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds, while Gary Payton II posted 19 points and 11 boards, including 12 points in the first half.
A tense moment came with 2:26 left in the second quarter when Butler took a hard hit from Micah Peavy. After review, Peavy was assessed a Flagrant 1, but Butler remained in the game to make his free throws. Golden State snapped a five-game stretch with just two wins, including a 124-106 loss to New Orleans on November 16.
The Pelicans stay on the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, while the Warriors will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. Saturday’s result improved Golden State to 11-10, while New Orleans fell to 3-17.
