Pelicans Swarmed By Kemba Walker and Hornets in 98-94 Defeat
By Mike Delayo
Though 48 points is not an explosive total, the first half was chock full of offensive execution for the Pelicans.
The second half was a totally different story.
The Pelicans lost their aggressiveness towards the basket as the game progressed. After garnering 17 free throw attempts in the first half, they only managed 7 in the second. They did shrink their turnovers from 9 to 5 in the second half, but the lack of decent shots as a result was troubling.
Eric Gordon‘s was rusty on Monday against the Wizards in his first game back from injury. Tonight that rust was nowhere to be found. Gordon started off the game with a miss, but he knocked down a long two and a three shortly after. He continued to create for his teammates with his ability to drive and kick to open teammates.
Jan 7, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) fight for a rebound during the second half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets win 98-94. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Gordon finished the night with 14 points, including a trio of triples. If he can hit from deep consistently, the Pelicans will have certainly taken a step in the right direction in removing Babbitt from the starting lineup. The guy can shoot, but his impact in other aspects of the game make him the clear option to start.
New Orleans is now 3-6 when Anthony Davis reaches 20 shots. Monty Williams stating that he wants Davis to shoot at least 20 times a game continues to hinder the offense. The guards are standing around consistently for 10 seconds each possession before feeding Davis for a contested shot everyone sees coming.
Don’t get me wrong, Davis is knocking down his shots very efficiently. He finished 15-24 from the floor and once again came through in the clutch, shooting 3-3, but it was just not enough in the end.
ESPN will surely say that the rest of the team “couldn’t help their superstar enough” or “Despite Davis’ big night…”. That is because the Pelicans are sacrificing some efficiency to fulfill a box score quota, and that is not ok.
Jrue Holiday had a great first half, getting to the rim and knocking down multiple open jump shots. It is a shame he was forced to change his mindset in the second half, where he did not make an impact. Jrue has been shooting the ball well as of late, and hopefully he continues to provide leadership and effort to this young team.
Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 31 points. He simply had the better of Holiday and knocked down all of the shots he was supposed to, including 2 in the final minute of the game. His quickness and athleticism is a force to be reckoned with, and he proved he could carry a team missing its best big man Al Jefferson.
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Cody Zeller was impressive, displaying some nice shot making ability and athleticism in his 28 minutes on the floor. Gerald Henderson took advantage of open lanes in the second half before finishing with 16 points.
Omer Asik definitely had an impact in this game, on the floor and off. Charlotte could not buy a basket in the first half with Asik on the court. Naturally, Omer took a seat in the third quarter and Charlotte converted on multiple wide open looks. His absence allowed Charlotte’s bench to dominate the glass on both sides of the ball, ultimately giving their team the extra points they needed.
Jimmer Fredette was the first guard off the bench. He did hit a corner three later in the game, but he did force the issue a bit tonight. He had a couple bad turnovers after creating some open looks for teammates. Austin Rivers did not see the floor at all tonight, a sign that Fredette’s recent performance has been pleasing. As long as he does not try to do too much with his opportunities, his defensive effort and playmaking ability should be enough to warrant at least a few consistent minutes.
The Pelicans watched a double digit lead evaporate throughout the third and fourth quarters, with Charlotte eventually taking a six point lead with a few minutes remaining.
A three point play from Davis off of an Eric Gordon feed closed the gap to three and Gordon then sank a wide open triple to tie the game at 90. After trading baskets, Charlotte came out of a time out and ran a play for Kemba Walker who sank a free throw line jump shot.
The Pelicans ran a quick play for Davis and he banked the shot home with 19 seconds left. This play was well executed, and Monty Williams deserves as much credit as Davis. Not to be outdone though, Walker hit another shot with a foul. With only 1.7 seconds left, the Pelicans turned the ball over and fouled, sealing the Hornets victory over the Pels 98-94.
The bench did not provide much at all tonight, shooting only 5-17, which hindered the Pelicans greatly. Match that with the mission to get Davis 20 shots no matter what, and you have a recipe for disaster. Eric Gordon is slowly returning to form, which is a good sign for the future of this team.
The Pelicans hope to break their losing streak against the division rival Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.