NEW ORLEANS -- Reigning MVP Stephen Curry is off to a historic start for the Golden State Warriors, much at the expense of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Curry scored 53 points and the defending champion Golden State Warriors won their third consecutive game to open the season, handing the Pelicans a 134-120 defeat Saturday night.

Two of the Warriors wins have come against the Pelicans, including a 111-95 season-opening victory on Tuesday in which Curry scored 40 points, including 24 in the first quarter.

It was the third consecutive double-digit loss for the Pelicans, who were playing their home opener at the Smoothie King Arena.

"When nights like tonight happen, you find shots and they keep going in," Curry said. "I was just trying to be aggressive, was able to get in the paint a good amount, knock down some 3s and keep them honest, and kind of open the game up. So it was really fun."

In the rematch, Curry delayed his heroics until the third quarter, scoring 28 points and helping the Warriors turn a 65-64 halftime deficit into a 105-91 lead. The Pelicans had no defensive answer for Curry.

He was 10 of 13 from the field in the quarter 17 of 27 overall, including 8 of 14 from 3-point range.

"He's a great, talented player," Pelicans' forward Ryan Anderson said of Curry. "But that's something you expect from great players; they're going to make shots."

Curry's 28 points set the record for most points in a quarter scored by an opposing player against the Pelicans and set his career high for points scored in a quarter.

"That was pretty impressive," Warriors interim coach Luke Walton said. "I don't think from the coaching seat you get to enjoy it as much (as) the other people in the arena."

Curry has scored 118 points in his first three games, the most by a player to start the season since Michael Jordan in the 1989-90 season. He is also the first Warrior since Wilt Chamberlain since the 1962-63 season to score at least 118 points through the first three games.

Curry's third career 50-point performance places him in rare company with Chamberlain and Rick Barry as the only Warriors with at least three 50-point games.

"We let him off the hook. We just let it get out of hand," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who spent last season as the Warriors associate head coach.

Draymond Green added 21 points, Klay Thompson 19 and Harrison Barnes 11 for Golden State, which opens a three-game homestand Monday against Memphis.

Anthony Davis rebounded from a sluggish start to lead the Pelicans with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Davis now has 100 double-doubles in his career.

Jrue Holiday scored 22 points, Anderson 19 and Toney Douglas 17 for New Orleans, which is 0-3 for the first time since 2004.

"I just think we have to do a better job all together," Gentry said. "I thought we were very stagnant offensively, and we were better defensively doing what we practice every day."

Second-chance points and Golden State's spotty free-throw shooting helped the Pelicans take a 65-64 halftime lead, representing their first lead after any quarter this season.

Behind an 11-2 advantage in offensive rebounds, New Orleans outscored the Warriors 11-1 in second-chance points during the first half.

Golden State struggled from the free-throw line making only 17 of 26 attempts.

Curry and Thompson combined for 31 first-half points, shooting a combined 9 of 15. Thompson scored 16 points and Curry 15 for the Warriors.

Holiday scored 13 points in the first half, including 11 in the first quarter, for the Pelicans.

"I was not frustrated at all," Walton said regarding his team's first-half effort. "It was a one-point game. There was all sorts of stuff we could have done better. Again, back-to-back road games in less than 24 hours, that is to be expected."

NOTES: Old habits appear hard to break for the Pelicans. Injuries have plagued the team in the recent past and before the Warriors game on Saturday, five players were listed on the injury list, including F Quincy Pondexter and G Norris Cole and G Tyreke Evans. ... In the first two games Pelicans opponents averaged 41 points in the first quarter. ... According to interim coach Luke Walton, the Warriors were playing with house money. He said the goal entering the week was to win two of three and Golden State, with a victory at Houston on Friday night, swept its first two games. ... Stephen Curry's 65 points through the first two games are the most by a Warrior to start a season since Latrell Sprewell in 1997-98.