Curry leads Warriors as Pelicans playoff hopes fade

LOS ANGELES: Steph Curry erupted for 41 points as the Golden State Warriors stayed on course for a postseason berth with a 123-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

Curry's 33rd 30-point game of the season helped the Warriors move to 33-32 to leave the team firmly in the hunt for a place in the play-in competition from the Western Conference.

But the Warriors' road victory all but extinguished New Orleans' chances of reaching the playoffs.

The defeat means the Pelicans are now languishing outside the play-in places with a 29-36 record, four games adrift of the San Antonio Spurs.

Curry's latest masterclass in a season that has seen him emerge as a front-runner for NBA Most Valuable Player honours was his ninth 40-point game of the season, and the 47th 40-point game of his career.

"I'm just playing with confidence," Curry said afterwards. "Every game I'm just trying to sustain the intensity, the effort and the focus.

"It's been a fun year and a fun ride but we've got a lot left to do. I'm glad I'm playing my part."

The Warriors led from start to finish, rocking the Pelicans by sprinting into a 39-21 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretching into a 25-point lead midway through the second quarter.

"For us to come out like we did tonight in the first quarter and impose our will -- it helped us maintain momentum throughout the game offensively," Curry told ESPN after the win.

Curry said the Warriors would have to continue to improve to have a chance of progressing into the playoffs from the play-in tournament.

"We understand that if we're going to be in the play-in or the playoffs we've got to play more consistent basketball, night-in, night-out," Curry said.

"And we haven't done that. It was a nice test for us tonight."