Stephen Curry scores 53 points as Warriors top Pelicans to stay unbeaten

Stephen Curry scored 53 points, taking over the game with a 28-point third quarter, and the unbeaten Golden State Warriors defeated winless New Orleans, 134-120, in the Pelicans’ home opener Saturday night.

Curry outscored the Pelicans by two points in the third period, giving the reigning NBA most valuable player a career-high for scoring in a quarter. It gave the Warriors a 105-91 lead.

Curry wound up shooting 17 for 27 from the field, including eight for 14 from three-point range, to go with nine assists and four steals. Five of his three-pointers were from between 27 and 31 feet.

Draymond Green scored 21 points and Klay Thompson had 19 for the defending league champions, who have won their first three games this season.

Anthony Davis had 26 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks for the injury-depleted Pelicans, who have lost their first three games under new Coach Alvin Gentry. Two of the defeats have been to Golden State.

New York 117, at Washington 110: Carmelo Anthony scored 37 points and the Knicks spoiled the Wizards’ home opener. Anthony hit a jumper with 1:35 to play to give New York a 108-106 lead. Langston Galloway added a three-pointer with 1:03 left to make it 111-106. Bradley Beal had 22 of his 26 points in the second half and John Wall scored 25 for Washington, which was bidding to start a season 3-0 for the first time since 2005-06. The Knicks (2-1) won their second road game of the season. They won a total of seven road games last season.

Utah 97, at Indiana 76: Derrick Favors scored 18 points for the Jazz, which outscored the Pacers by 33 points in the second half. Utah (2-1) led by nine points at the end of the third quarter and by as many as 21 in the fourth quarter. Favors, one of six Jazz players to score in double figures, had seven rebounds. He scored all but two of his points in the second half. George Hill scored 17 points for Indiana (0-3), which has lost the lead in the third quarter and given up a total of 189 points in the second half of its three games this season.

at Memphis 101, Brooklyn 91: Mike Conley scored 22 points, including 10 straight in the fourth quarter, and had eight assists as the Grizzlies held off the winless Nets. Zach Randolph and Courtney Lee scored 15 points each for Memphis, with Randolph grabbing 13 rebounds. Jeff Green finished with 13. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 19 points and Jarrett Jack finished with 15 for the Nets (0-3). Brook Lopez had 12 points and 10 rebounds.