Pelicans 114, Warriors 109: CJ McCollum 28 points | Postgame wrap

Playing against one of the NBA’s greatest all-time shooters and one of the best perimeter teams in NBA history, CJ McCollum was just a little bit better, making the biggest shot of Friday’s game and one of the most important of New Orleans’ season. As a result, the Pelicans moved to the verge of clinching a playoff berth. After New Orleans built a lead and held it for much of the evening, Golden State rallied back to within a possession, but McCollum sank a stepback three-pointer with 1:02 left, giving the visitors a 112-106 edge. The Pelicans prevailed despite a few trademark late-game treys from Stephen Curry, the game's most prolific three-point shooter ever.

New Orleans finished its 2023-24 road schedule with a franchise-record 28 wins, which was also good for the NBA’s best away mark this season. The Pelicans punctuated that run of success with one of their most dramatic victories, holding off the Warriors in clutch time. Roughly a half-hour after Friday's final buzzer, seventh-seeded Phoenix held on to beat Sacramento by a point, preventing the Pelicans from clinching the No. 6 seed and a trip to the playoffs. They'll have the opportunity to do so Sunday afternoon in Game 82 vs. the Lakers.

A quarter to remember.
On his way to setting the single-season team record for three-pointers made – despite missing a chunk of games due to a lung injury – McCollum went ballistic in Friday’s second quarter from downtown. The 11-year NBA veteran drained five three-pointers in the period, half of his team’s long-range marksmanship – the Pelicans totaled 10 treys, with Trey Murphy adding three and Jose Alvarado and Dyson Daniels each sinking one. As a result, New Orleans won that period 45-22, turning a nine-point deficit into a 14-point lead.
Playoff-like rotation.
Sure, it was the second game of a back-to-back and the 81st game of a lengthy season, but this was no time to rest anyone. McCollum logged 22 first-half minutes out of 24. Murphy played 21. Meanwhile, Willie Green only used three reserves all night, including just two beyond minimal action. The stakes warranted a significant workload for several Pelicans, particularly the ones who lit up Chase Center with accuracy from beyond the arc. Four starters logged at least 36 minutes, led by Murphy's 42.
Sunday Sunday Sunday!
The West race has come down to the final day of the season in epic fashion, with the top three teams sharing identical 56-25 records. One member of that trio – Minnesota – will host Phoenix on Sunday, with a Suns loss guaranteeing that the Pelicans wrap up the No. 6 seed. New Orleans will simultaneously host the Lakers at 2:30 p.m., knowing that a Pels victory would also lock up a playoff berth. The Lakers also will have plenty of incentive, because a win for them means they will end up as a No. 8 seed in the play-in tournament and get two chances to win once. No. 9 Sacramento and No. 10 Golden State both are just a game behind the Lakers and have winnable games Sunday vs. Portland and Utah, respectively, meaning a loss by LA could mean a drop back to the 9-10 play-in matchup (the loser's season ends).

20/38: New Orleans three-point shooting. McCollum finished 8/13, while Murphy was 6/9.
6: Zion Williamson steals, his career high. The Pelicans came up with 11 thefts, often getting in the personal space of Warriors ballhandlers.
12: Years since New Orleans had won twice on Golden State’s home floor in the same season (the Pelicans previously battered the Warriors on Jan. 10). The 2011-12 Hornets did so with a second GSW road win on April 24, 2012.