The Golden State Warriors returned to winning ways by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 104-96 at Chase Center on Saturday. This was a back-and-forth game for much of the night, but the Warriors closed it out on a 17-8 run to come away with a win in Stephen Curry’s absence.

With Curry out due to a right quad contusion, the Warriors needed a big game from Jimmy Butler, and he delivered. Butler came close to recording a triple-double, putting up 24 points (7-15 FG), eight rebounds, and 10 assists on the night. He did it all and got a lot of help from an unexpected source.

Gary Payton II had 19 points (9-14 FG), 11 rebounds, and three assists off the bench against the Pelicans. It is the first time all season that Payton scored in double digits, and the timing couldn’t have been much better.

As for the Pelicans, Zion Williamson led the way with 25 points (8-16 FG), seven rebounds, and four assists. Saddiq Bey also chipped in with 21 points (7-17 FG), but it wasn’t enough to prevent the visitors from falling to 3-17 on the season. A disastrous season seems to be just getting worse with each passing day.

Here are some of the takeaways from this game.

1. Jimmy Butler Takes Over Down The Stretch

Teams look to their stars to get them over the line in the clutch, and Butler did just that against the Pelicans. With the Warriors clinging to a 90-88 lead with under four minutes remaining, the 36-year-old took over.

Butler scored or assisted on six straight points to push that lead to 96-88 and create some much-needed separation. The six-time All-Star would later make three of four free throws to ensure the Pelicans had no chance of coming back into this one.

Butler ended up with a plus-minus of +24 in his 37 minutes on the night. In the 11 minutes he sat, the Warriors were outscored by 14 points, which tells you just how dependent they are on him in Curry’s absence.

2. A Rough Shooting Night For Both Teams

The Warriors were expected to struggle a bit offensively in Curry’s absence, but perhaps not to this extent. They went 38-93 (40.9%) from the field and 12-47 (25.5%) from beyond the arc against the Pelicans.

The Warriors only put up 17 points in the first quarter and then failed to score in the first two minutes of the second. They ended up shooting just 33.3% from the field in the first half, and it would have been almost impossible for them to get a win on most nights when the offense was stuck in quicksand like that.

Fortunately for the Warriors, they were going up against the Pelicans here. Despite being so woeful offensively, they actually took a 42-38 lead into halftime.

The Pelicans also shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half. While the Warriors at least managed to shoot a respectable 48.9% in the second, the visitors could only improve to 41.5%. The Pelicans showed here just why they have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season.

3. The Warriors Avoided Their Biggest Problem

While the Warriors’ defense has been a big talking point lately, head coach Steve Kerr stated before this game that the biggest reason they haven’t won more is turnovers. They were averaging 16.6 turnovers per game coming into this contest and needed to tighten things up, especially with Curry being out.

So, how did the Warriors fare on that front? The answer is extremely well.

The Warriors only had 10 turnovers against the Pelicans. This was the fourth time this season that they had 10 or fewer in a game, and they are now 4-0 in them. The mantra is simple here. Take great care of the ball, and you’ll stand a great chance of winning.

Not turning the ball over also helps on the defensive end, as you’ll give up fewer points in transition. The Warriors, who are now 11-10 in 2025-26, only conceded 13 points off turnovers, and they’d want to keep that number down in the future as well.