Warriors rally from 21 points to top Pelicans; Curry sprains ankle

NEW ORLEANS — Stephen Curry had 31 points and 11 assists but sprained his ankle late in the game, and the Golden State Warriors came back from 21 points down late in the first half to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans, 125-115, on Monday night (Tuesday Manila time).

Klay Thompson scored 22 points and Kevin Durant and Draymond Green each had 19 for the Warriors, who won their fourth straight. After it was over, Curry went for X-rays on his right ankle.

Jure Holiday scored 34 and E’Twaun Moore added a career-high 27 for the Pelicans, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

DeMarcus Cousins added 19 points and 11 rebounds — but also had seven turnovers — before both he and Durant received their second technical fouls of the game while bickering in the final minutes, resulting in ejections for both players.

Trailing 69-49 at halftime, the Warriors opened the third quarter with a 15-0 run, with Durant scoring six on two dunks and a fadeaway, while Thompson and Green each added 3-pointers.

From then on, the game was tight, with the Pelicans only briefly rebuilding a lead as large as 11 on Holiday’s back-to-back 3s late in the third quarter.

Golden State regained the lead at 96-95 on Andre Iguodala’s steal and breakaway dunk with 8:31 left.

New Orleans briefly went back up 95-92 when Darius Miller hit a 3 while being fouled by Curry for a four-point play, but Nick Young responded with consecutive 3s to give Golden State the lead for good, and Green added a pair of late 3s to help seal it.

The first half featured dramatic swings in momentum.

New Orleans led by 13 late in the first quarter after a 6-0 mini-run featuring Holiday’s dunk and Cousins’ 3, but the Warriors responded with a 17-3 surge to take a 37-36 lead early in the second quarter.

Curry scored the first six points of the spurt, starting with his 21-foot jumper as he was fouled by Tony Allen.

Patrick McCaw’s 3 put Golden State in the lead, and the game remained close until Rajon Rondo, who had 10 points and 11 assists, was subbed in about halfway through the second quarter. Rondo assisted on two Holiday 3s and later added a pair of his own from deep during a 25-5 run. Rondo’s 10th assist came on Moore’s 3, which put New Orleans up 21 points in the final minute of the first half.

Tip-ins

Warriors: C Zaza Pachulia missed his first game this season because of soreness in his left shoulder. The precise cause of the injury is a bit of a mystery. Team officials say Pachulia told them he didn’t know exactly when or how he hurt his shoulder, only that it began bothering him during Sunday night’s victory at Miami and that soreness persisted during warmups Monday evening. ... With Pachulia out, JaVale McGee started for the first time this season and immediately got involved. After a turnover by Cousins, McGee finished a fast break with a dunk as he was fouled for a three-point play. Minutes later, his block of Cousins’ layup attempt led to Durant’s transition 3. ... McCaw left in the second quarter after getting hit on the nose when Cousins followed through on a blocked shot. The Warriors said X-rays were negative, but McCaw did not return.

Pelicans: Star forward Anthony Davis missed his second straight game with a strained left adductor. New Orleans won its previous game without him in Portland on Saturday. ... Cousins has seven technical fouls this season.