Pelicans Up and Down Season Continues in Loss to Celtics

The “up and down” roller-coaster of a season continued for the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday Night, and if they can’t get the ride operator to stop it fast enough, the 2015 NBA Playoffs will quickly be out of reach.

The Pelicans fell to 0-7 on the road against Eastern Conference teams this season, after losing to the Celtics 108-100 at the TD Garden in Boston.

Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis are the longest tenured players on the Pelicans roster, and it was their play that carried the team in an otherwise lackluster effort by New Orleans all night.

Davis, who put up 40 points and 21 rebounds in his last game in Boston, filled up the stat sheet again. He posted 34 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. While shooting 10-23 from the field Davis also managed an impressive 14-15 from the free throw line.

Jan 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) shoots a free throw against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Gordon shot the ball well from all spots on the floor: 7-12 from the field, 3-5 from three, and 4-4 from the free throw line, but he did have some turnover and foul issues all night.

His inability to defend Marcus Thornton (8-9 FTs in 14 minutes) gave away points New Orleans simply could not afford to give. That said, he is on the floor for his offense, and his performance almost bailed out his team.

Turnovers prevented New Orleans from ever getting into a rhythm. For the first three quarters, errant passes and lazy play resulted in a ton of easy buckets for the Celtics. 12 of their 18 giveaways came in the first half, and 5 of those were credited to Jrue Holiday.

Omer Asik dropped a pass that hit him in the chest, passes to the corner were short hopping teammates and balls were thrown straight to the Celtics defense. It was an ugly showing that cost the Pelicans the game.

Holiday never returned to the game after half time due to an ankle injury.

Tyreke Evans took over point guard duties for the rest of the night. However, the absence of Holiday really hindered the ball movement and playmaking flexibility of the team. Evans had a good game in his own right, finishing with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Jan 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) shoots the ball against Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Boston hit a ton of tough shots all night, but you have to credit the work they put in. Jae Crowder scored a career high 22 points on 9-14 shooting, while Jared Sullinger led the team with 27 points and 10 rebounds of his own.

Crowder’s defense is usually what he prides himself on, but he stepped up and led his team on both sides of the floor. His efficient scoring effort and defensive prowess caused problems for the Pelicans that quite frankly had no answer.

Sullinger bullied his way around the paint all game, taking advantage of the weaker Ryan Anderson on the scoreboard and on the offensive glass.

The Pelicans needed Anderson in the game for offense but could not afford to let Sullinger keep getting to the basket. It was a lose-lose, and just goes to show how much of an impact Holiday makes on the execution of the game plan.

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Marcus Smart came off the bench and helped lock up the Pelicans backcourt while also hitting a pair of miraculous daggers in the fourth quarter: a hook shot off the glass and a fade-away three from the corner. The ball just fell from everywhere tonight for Boston.

Jan 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) dribbles the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jimmer Fredette (32) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Anderson and the rest of the New Orleans bench had no such luck. Ryan, Jimmer, Babbitt and Withey were a combined 2-13 from the floor, with a 2-8 showing from Anderson. It was nice to see him hit 2-5 three point shots, but his attempts near the rim were futile and easily handled by the Celtics.

Jimmer and Babbitt need to hit open shots if they want to get consistent playing time. Fredette had tougher shots (Babbitt’s only shot was an open three), but they were still attempts that need to find success more often than not.

With the departure of Austin Rivers, Jimmer will be getting a lot more playing time. Hopefully, he continues to work hard, play smart, and figure it out.

The Pelicans took much better care of the ball in the fourth quarter, but the Basketball Gods were already too fed up with them.. Smart’s two shots and a bank shot 28 foot three pointer from Crowder were among the plethora of though shots made by Boston. The Celtics got an astounding effort from their entire team and simply deserved to win.

Jan 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams reacts during the second half of a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The game remained close throughout the fourth quarter. At one point, Davis scored 11 straight points for the Pelicans but it was not enough.

As time ticked down, New Orleans could only watch in frustration as the Celtics hit some tough shots, got some stops and took the game 108-100.

The Pelicans need to step up for the rest of this road trip or they can kiss the playoffs good bye. Next stop: Detroit on Wednesday.