New Orleans Pelicans: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

3. Pelicans notch rare win against Golden State Warriors

To say that the Pelicans had been dominated by the Dubs would be a gross understatement. Dating back to the 2014-15 campaign, the Warriors had won 17 of the last 18 meetings between the two teams.

This included a four-game sweep in the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs. That, along with the fact that the Pelicans’ playoff hopes were hanging in the balance and Stephen Curry was out of the lineup with a knee injury, meant there was a sense of urgency for New Orleans heading into this late-season matchup on April 7.

It was a nip-and-tuck affair all evening long, with both teams seemingly scoring at will. The Pelicans took an eight-point lead (121-113) following a hook shot by Davis with 3:22 left in regulation. No lead is ever safe against the Warriors, though, and they proved as much by scoring the next six points, trimming the deficit to two.

With a chance to at least tie the game, the Warriors were looking to post up Kevin Durant (41 points and 10 rebounds) against the smaller Rondo. Much to everyone’s surprise, Rondo stripped Durant, forcing a turnover. On the subsequent possession, E’Twaun Moore nailed a mid-range jumper, giving the Pelicans a 123-119 advantage and they would eventually go on to win 126-120.

With the win, the Pelicans defeated the Warriors for the first time since April 7 of 2015 (at home) and for the first time at Oracle Arena since April of 2012. Even more important, this win helped the Pelicans secure a playoff berth.