Eric Gordon Returns But Pelicans Lose to Wizards, 92-85

The most positive way to view tonight’s game is to look at the big picture: Eric Gordon is back in action, and will hopefully help the Pelicans for the rest of the way.

The Wizards proved too much for the New Orleans to handle, and they took a game that was never really out of their hands 92-85.

Asking for Eric Gordon to return to form right away would be too much. He showed decent floor vision and made some quality passes, resulting in 5 assists in 33 minutes of action.While he did not shoot the ball well, he was able to compete physically and stay with his man on defense.

Gordon also drew a tough foul in the second half, a sign that his injury has not hindered his aggressiveness in getting to the rim. Gordon will be a critical part of the Pelicans success, so it was good to finally see him back on the floor.

Jan 5, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) is defended by Washington Wizards center

(4) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Turnovers were an issue for the Pelicans, who usually take very good care of the ball (5th fewest in the league). The Washington roster is full of smart, experienced defenders who can sniff out more passes than the average team.

That said, New Orleans tried to force the issue a bit too much and surrendered 18 possessions as a result.

The Wizards are a very thick team. Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat are big bodies for anyone to match up against. With John Wall and Bradley Beal in the backcourt, Washington may have the best starting five in the league. With so many weapons they never have to depend on one guy to carry the offensive load, and they certainly got an all around effort tonight.

Jan 5, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (4) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans center

(3) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Bradley Beal was held to 6 points on 3-10 shooting thanks to solid switches from the backcourt and even Dante Cunningham when he was playing at the three. Naturally, Professor Andre Miller compensated for those lost points with a 5-5 night of his own.

The backup big men proved to be just as problematic for New Orleans. Kris Humphries, Kevin Seraphin and even Otto Porter on the wing seem to consume every possible rebound in their vicinity. The five offensive rebounds provided by this trio the second chance points Washington needed when the shots were not falling in the first half.

Wall was flying all over the court, making tough running jumpers and setting up his teammates for beautiful open looks. Have to give credit where its due, and John Wall managed to play an efficient, unselfish game even when matched up against a tough defender in Holiday.

The Wizards finished with five double digit scorers and none over John Wall’s 15. The Wizards usually shoot the ball effectively from behind the arc, but only managed to hit 2-10 shots against the Pelicans, who forced a lot of mid range jump shots. Unfortunately, Washington loves those shots to and hit them with great consistency tonight.

Anthony Davis only got 3 shots in the first half, which is unacceptable considering just how good he is. Sure, the shot selection was not terrible for the rest of the team, but Davis needs to get the ball more often. Even in the second half when Jrue Holiday was clearly making an effort to feed him, AD was still left wide open under the basket a handful of times.

Jan 5, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) is defended by Washington Wizards forward

(8) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Davis finished the night 9-12, and Tyreke Evans finished 7-14. Tyreke did hit some long jumpers tonight, but he should not be looking for those shots too often. His 6 turnovers did not help the cause of the already struggling offense. He should be in the starting lineup next game and will hopefully stay hot and take better care of the ball.

Omer Asik was brought to New Orleans to provide bulk against teams like Washington, and he definitely worked at it tonight. While the stat column does not show a huge impact, just having him take some of the beating is very important for the Pelicans other big men. He cannot fight off the bodies of Gortat, Nene and Humphries all game, and it would be unfair to ask him to do so.

The return of Gordon saw the minutes for both Jimmer Fredette and Austin Rivers take a hit. Jimmer came in for a few minutes to start the 2nd, with Rivers doing the same in the 4th. Neither really made a significant impact in their limited time.

Luke Babbitt played only 5 minutes to start the game and did not register a shot. At the beginning of the second half, Tyreke Evans took his place.

With the paint so clogged in the half court offense, the opportunities to push the ball would seem like a gift for the Pelicans. That was not the case, as New Orleans only managed 6 fast break points.

Jan 5, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward

(33) is defended by Washington Wizards forward Rasual Butler (8) during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Pelicans made a run at the end of the fourth, with and Anderson triple and a Davis dunk (that should have been a three point play) bringing the score to 89-85. Washington made their free throws and walked away with the victory 92-85. New Orleans has been held to under 90 points only four times this season, but Washington is now responsible for two of those games.

The Pelicans take on the Hornets on Wednesday in a game they really need to take before matching up against the division rival Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.