Reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stephen Curry torched the New Orleans Pelicans exploding for 40 points to lead the Golden State Warriors in their 2015–16 regular season opener last Tuesday.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) champions Warriors shut down the Pelicans 111–95 to start their title defense.
Curry played 36 minutes, scored 40 points (10th 40-point game in NBA career), grabbed six boards, dished out seven assists, and also had two steals.
The 27-year-old athlete guard started hot making seven of his first nine shots, which included four makes from three-point territory to tally 24 points in the opening quarter alone.
Curry finished the game shooting 14-of-26 from the field and was 5-of-12 from the three-point area.
Despite the MVP's splendid showing, it was not all about him as the win came from a total team effort that limited Pelicans star Anthony Davis to only 18 points in the game.
Davis was putting up great numbers during the preseason and in the 2014–15 season played his best year. However, the 22-year-old Pelican could not turn to the scoring machine that he was in Tuesday's setback to the defending champions.
Along with his 18 points, Davis also had six rebounds, two assists, and three blocks playing for 35 minutes.
The game was a rematch of last season's first-round playoff series between both teams, which the Warriors won via sweep.
It also featured Golden State taking on Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry, who was an assistant coach to the Warriors from 2014 until last season.
Interim head coach Luke Walton also made his debut as a head coach with Steve Kerr still sidelined by his condition, following two back surgeries in the offseason.
Before the game held at Oracle Arena, the Warriors had their championship ring ceremony after winning the title last season.
"This is an unbelievable day. I got kind of goosebumps kind of reliving all the moments that we had," Curry said about the ceremony, according to the Associated Press.
