Warriors Vs Pelicans: Moody, Melton and Murray headlines
The warriors vs pelicans matchup on Tuesday ended 113-109 in favor of New Orleans, a game that mixed a roster riddled with absences for Golden State and the return of Dejounte Murray after more than a year on the sidelines. The contest produced standout scoring nights for Moses Moody and De’Anthony Melton and underscored Murray’s difficult year and rehabilitation.
Warriors Vs Pelicans final moments
The Golden State Warriors lost 113-109 to the New Orleans Pelicans. Golden State staged a comeback after an ugly first half and even took the lead in the second half, but they lost their rhythm down the stretch and the Pelicans took control in the final moments. The game was described as odd, with uncertainty about which team should be favored; the Warriors were facing what the coverage called a very bad Pelicans team, but New Orleans was fairly healthy and had welcomed Dejounte Murray back after more than a year on the sidelines. The matchup featured an old friend in Jordan Poole on the opposing side.
Moses Moody’s strong scoring night
Moses Moody played 34 minutes and scored 24 points with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover and 5 fouls. He shot 7-for-13 overall, 4-for-10 from three, and 6-for-8 on free throws, producing a 72. 6% true-shooting percentage and a +13 plus/minus. The evaluation of Moody praised his defense, his shot, and the way he used his jump shot to attack, drawing eight free throws and taking three shots inside the arc. He received a grade of A and a post-game note as the best plus/minus on the team.
De’Anthony Melton lights scoreboard
De’Anthony Melton logged 28 minutes and scored 28 points, adding 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal, with 3 turnovers and 4 fouls. He shot 8-for-21 overall, 3-for-10 from three, and 9-for-11 on free throws for a 54. 2% true-shooting percentage and a +9 plus/minus. Commentators noted there were stretches in which Melton was the only Warrior capable of getting a bucket, and that when no one else could score early he was converting shots consistently.
Warriors rotation and absences
Golden State was playing without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Al Horford. The roster strain showed in spots; Gui Santos played 39 minutes, scoring 15 points with 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks but also had 6 turnovers and 5 fouls while shooting 6-for-13, 1-for-4 on threes and 2-for-2 on free throws for a 54. 0% true-shooting percentage and a -7 plus/minus. Another key Warrior, identified as Dray, logged 32 minutes with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover and 2 fouls, shooting 5-for-11, 1-for-3 on threes for a 50. 0% true-shooting percentage and a +8 plus/minus; he was noted for playing strong defense on Zion Williamson. Zion Williamson scored 26 points but needed 21 shots and five free throws to reach that total.
Dejounte Murray’s return and rehab
Dejounte Murray’s season away was shaped by a run of personal and physical setbacks. After more than a year sidelined by injury he returned to the Pelicans’ lineup, and his return followed a chain of events he described as crushing. Murray said “A dark cloud” hovered above him, and that “Everything” was “just dark. ” He said, “A lot of people don’t know, ” and that “a lot of stuff in life went downhill. ” The difficulties began after he was traded in June 2024 from the Atlanta Hawks to New Orleans, where expectations included forming a trio with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. A week before his first game of the 2024-25 season his mother had a stroke; he flew to Seattle, where he grew up, and she could barely speak and was helpless in the hospital. In the first game he broke his left hand, underwent surgery and missed 17 games, and then in January 2025 he suffered a season-ending ruptured right Achilles tendon. Murray said, “It was literally the worst three months of my professional career on and off the floor, ” and “I was never able to focus on basketball. ” He added, “I’ve been going through obstacles since I was like 5 years old. ” The context notes that a medical professional had questioned his ability to bounce back, but that he completed a year-long rehab journey for one of the toughest injuries in sports. The article states Murray is probable to return Tuesday for the Pelicans’ game against the Golden S; unclear in the provided context.
Additional notes in the coverage include that Murray was drafted at the end of the first round by the Spurs in 2016, was traded to Atlanta in June 2022 after an All-Star breakthrough, and had been averaging a career high in points in Atlanta after receiving an All-Star nod with San Antonio in 2022. The piece also includes illustration and photo credits: illustration by Demetrius Robinson and a photo by Stephen Lew / Imagn Images.
True-shooting percentage was noted as a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws, and the coverage recorded that entering Tuesday’s games the league average true-shooting percentage was 57. 9%.
Overall, the matchup combined New Orleans’ 113-109 win, strong individual work from Moody and Melton, the Warriors’ roster absences, and the narrative of Murray’s difficult year and return.
