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NEW ORLEANS — When the New Orleans Pelicans found out that the Warriors would be their second-round opponents, Rajon Rondo pulled aside Ian Clark and asked him to reveal all of his former team’s secrets.

Clark played with the Warriors from 2015-17, winning a championship with them last season.

“We talked about what the guys like to do,” Clark told the Bay Area News Group. “Obviously being there, the plays they run and if I remember anything. We watched a lot of film together to get ready.”

Their studying sessions paid off Friday after the Pelicans beat the Warriors 119-100 in Game 3 in New Orleans.

Clark had his best game of the playoffs Friday, finishing with 18 points in just over 21 minutes. He shot seven-for-11 from the field, including making three of his five 3-point attempts.

“With Ian off the bench, it seemed like everybody on that side was in a flow,” Stephen Curry said. “He fell into that. He obviously is a talented player. We’ve seen that for years. But we have to do something about it defensively.”

The 27-year-old shooting guard said this wasn’t a revenge game for him, but he added that he enjoyed every second of it.

“Those guys are like brothers to me, aside of this series, obviously,” Clark said.

Clark looks back at his time with the Warriors fondly. He learned a lot and was able to experience something that very few players get to enjoy.

“Winning the championship, nothing beats that,” Clark said. “It’s what every guy in the league strives for, to be in that position. It’s a great feeling being in the locker room after, the champagne, everything. It’s something that follows you for the rest of your career.”

Clark averaged 6.8 points in 14.8 minutes last season with the Warriors. He became a free agent last summer and went on to sign a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Pelicans in August for $1.6 million.

He acknowledged that he was hoping to remain in a Warriors uniform.

“Obviously you want to go back after winning a championship,” Clark said. “But at the same time, the chips might not fall that way. You’re a professional, move on, and continue your career elsewhere.”

Clark is used to adversity.

Coming out of Belmont, Clark went undrafted in 2013. He then bounced around from team to team.

So after signing with the Pelicans, when Clark rode the bench at the beginning of the season, he gritted his teeth and played with a chip on his shoulder.

Clark saw his minutes increase after DeMarcus Cousins sustained his season-ending Achilles injury in January. Then when the Pelicans made a deal for Nikola Mirotic in February, trading Jameer Nelson, Tony Allen and Omer Asik, things further opened up for Clark.

Clark averaged a career-high 7.4 points in 19.7 minutes for the Pelicans during the regular season.

But when Clark wasn’t playing, he often thought about the advice that Steve Kerr had given him.

“A lot of times I’d sit down with him and I’d ask him what do I need to do to earn playing time, to get better,” Clark said. “He was in the same situation in his career at times, playing with Michael [Jordan] and playing with great players. It was just always staying ready. It’s something that he told me and it helped me throughout my time there to always be ready when my number was called. I had opportunities to play and tried to perform as well as I could.”

Clark and Kerr are still close. After Friday’s game, Kerr said he was an important role player for the Warriors.

“I love Ian,” Kerr said. “Ian is one of my favorite guys we ever had here.”

Clark is grateful for his time with the Warriors and he has nothing but positive things to say about his former teammates. But that doesn’t prevent him from receiving trash talk from a certain former teammate. When asked who messes with him, Clark didn’t hesitate in his response.

“You can guess,” Clark said.

Draymond Green?

Clark smiled.