The New Orleans Pelicans stay at home after a disappointing loss, facing a fearsome buzzsaw who suffered their own unfortunate defeat on Tuesday night.

We know Wednesday was hard, guys. It was for all of us. Even amid an historic night for Anthony Davis, the New Orleans Pelicans were unable to secure a victory at home against a Nuggets team that isn’t even demonstrably more talented than the Pels.

Another team faced disappointment in Game One though, and that team is at a talent advantage every time it plays a basketball game. The Golden State Warriors suffered a 29-point blowout at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. Their unfathomable Big Four wasn’t enough to overpower the well-balanced attack of the Spurs, and Kawhi Leonard ate people up.

It will be an interesting battle of superstars tonight in the Crescent City, and the Pels will need another mammoth statistical line from Davis to have a chance.

Remember, the Dubs started last season 24-0, while the Pelicans lost 11 of their first 12 contests. The teams met on opening night last year, and it spelled the beginning of the end for a Pelicans team that was forced to start both Nate Robinson and Kendrick Perkins due to injury concerns. This year, you’d hope for a more competitive contest.

Against Denver, AD was able to exploit mismatches against every member of the frontcourt, stacking a bevy of jumpers, floaters, and layups atop one another on his way to 50 points. He won’t have that benefit against Draymond Green or Kevin Durant, but there’s hope against every other player.

Andre Iguodala is an All-World defender, but will have a hard time containing Davis’s size. Zaza Pachulia is like a traffic cone to someone as athletic and long as AD. The backup bigs are a weakness for this team. One of KD and Green may need to be on Davis at all times for GSW to contain him.

Then again, the Pels lost despite Davis’s insane performance two nights ago, and the Warriors possess the offensive firepower to win games by simply outscoring and outpacing their opponent. They might be content allowing Davis to continue his surge if it means corralling the other players and winning the game.