Warriors vs Pelicans Live: Curry-Zion Showdown Tonight—Start Time, TV Channel, Stream & Key Storylines

The Golden State Warriors head to Smoothie King Center tonight to face the New Orleans Pelicans in a Western-Conference clash that carries real playoff-race implications for Steve Kerr’s club. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT) with coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area, Bally Sports New Orleans and NBA League Pass. Current form • Warriors: 30-27 overall, 11-16 on the road, eighth in the West after beating Denver 128-117 on Saturday. • Pelicans: 16-42 overall, 10-21 at home, but fresh off a 126-111 upset of Philadelphia that snapped a three-game skid. Key storylines 1. Life without Steph. Stephen Curry (sprained right knee) will miss his third straight game, pushing rookie guard Brandin Podziemski into a lead-ball-handler role again. The 20-year-old is averaging 17.6 points and 6.2 assists since the All-Star break and just dropped 24-8-7 on Denver. 2. Injury carousel. Draymond Green (back, game-time decision) could return, but Al Horford (toe) and Kristaps Porziņģis (illness) remain out for Golden State; Trey Murphy III (shoulder) headlines New Orleans’ lengthy report. 3. Clash of tempos. Golden State ranks top-10 in pace and assists, while the Pelicans prefer to grind through rookie center Derik Queen in the half-court. Queen is putting up 22.1 points, 7.3 boards and 4.1 dimes per game, leading all first-year players in total usage. Matchup edges • Three-point volume: the Warriors attempt 39.8 triples a night (4th in NBA); New Orleans allows opponents to shoot 38.1% from deep (28th). • Offensive rebounding: without Green, Golden State’s defensive glass (42.5 rpg) has been vulnerable—Queen and Herbert Jones average a combined 4.5 offensive boards. Betting nuggets DraftKings lists Golden State as a 1.5-point favorite with the total at 227.5. ESPN Analytics gives the Warriors a 51.9 % win probability, essentially a coin flip. What to watch • Can Podziemski control the pace against Dyson Daniels’ length? • Will Klay Thompson capitalize on extra touches vs. a depleted Pelicans wing rotation? • How often do the Pelicans target Jonathan Kuminga on switches to force help and create open corner threes? Bottom line Golden State needs every win to avoid the Play-In, while New Orleans is playing spoiler and evaluating its young core. Expect a tight, high-scoring contest where the Warriors’ perimeter shooting meets the Pelicans’ interior punch—an ideal recipe for late-February drama and a must-stream matchup for NBA fans searching “Warriors vs Pelicans live” before tip-off.