The Golden State Warriors continue to accumulate wins as November progresses. They won Friday night in New Orleans 112-108, improving to 3-0 in the Emirates NBA Cup and 12-3 overall in the young season. With it being early, every win counts the same, and knowing the value of a Western Conference win is significant.

Friday night’s victory featured another strong performance from Andrew Wiggins, following up on his 27-point performance in Wednesday’s win over Atlanta. Wiggins tallied a season-high 30 points, with 13 coming in the first quarter. He opened up the game a perfect 3-3 from downtown. Wiggins had another good showing on the defensive side of the ball, which comes at a crucial time with the loss of De’Anthony Melton still very much in effect.

“Andrew is feeling great. You saw him knock down all the threes early, his free throws. He looked fantastic out there, his defense of Ingram, a lot of good stuff,” head coach Steve Kerr said.

“I’m just trying to keep myself involved, stay assertive, stay aggressive and just attack the rim,” Wiggins said.

Both teams came out hot in the first quarter and were connecting from distance with the Dubs starting 4-5 from three and the Pelicans 3-5. Credit to shorthanded New Orleans throughout the night for being able to hang with the Warriors despite the lack of bodies and immense shuffling of the roster early on this season.

Minutes into the second quarter, the Pelicans would go on a 15-0 burst to reclaim the lead early, going up 45-38. After starting 5-6 from beyond the arc, Golden State would shoot just 1-10 from three during the Pelicans run. Draymond Green put a stop to things with his season-high third three of the game midway through quarter number two. His nine quick points would be all until the final seconds of the game.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl would tip in the ball on the final possession of the half to give the Pelicans a 63-62 lead, marking the most points New Orleans had scored in a half this season.

The third quarter remained tightly contested with no team able to go on a run to put things away. Stephen Curry added 19 points going 4-7 from three on the night, along with 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

Entering the fourth quarter, New Orleans was at -65 for the season in the final frame, a league-worst. Golden State looked as though they were poised to put the game away by opening their largest lead of the game at 10. The deep shooting of the Pelicans got them back into things, with Brandon Boston Jr. hitting a three to cut the lead to one possession.

The Warriors responded with the 13-year connection of Green finding Curry cutting back door for a layup making things a five-point game at 104-99.

Once again, the Pelicans found themselves back in the game thanks to a couple of late-game triples by Trey Murphy III. Brandon Ingram and Green would trade places at the free throw line both going 0-2. Keeping things at a one-possession game.

New Orleans had the chance to tie or take the lead after a steal on an inbounds play by Boston Jr., Ingram had a clean look at three that was passed up and was followed by a miss by Murphy III that resulted in a loose ball foul called on Robinson-Earl with Green securing the rebound.

Green would go 2-4 from the line in back-to-back trips to seal this tightly congested victory at 112-108. The Warriors get San Antonio on the second end of a back-to-back tomorrow night, as they get their first look of the season at Victor Wembanyama and now former Warrior Chris Paul.

Following a Denver Nuggets loss to the Dallas Mavericks Friday night, the Warriors have now clinched Group C of the Emirates NBA cup and are the first team in the NBA to advance to the knockout rounds of the league’s in-season tournament.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)