Pelicans Get Revenge Against 76ers, Improve Win Streak
Shortly after the final buzzer sounded and the Pelicans announcers came to terms with the fact that they wouldn’t be getting free French-fries, Fox Sports Southwest reporter Jen Hale caught up with Anthony Davis and asked him what the attitude of the team was after beating the 76ers 99-74.
Anthony Davis was smiling like he just got asked to prom as he explained to Jen that the team was simply having fun, they were smiling, they trusted each other. He remarked “No one cares who scores the ball,” and he’s not wrong.
The Pelicans (24-21) racked up 28 assists while holding the 76ers to just 15, and it’s because this team has developed an unselfish mentality when it comes team offense.
Jan 26, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks the ball in front of Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) during the second half at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 99-74. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Tyreke Evans had 12 assists today while only taking 6 shots, proving that he is more than capable of playing point guard for extended periods of time for the Pelicans, and doing it unselfishly.
Earlier this season against the Thunder, I saw Tyreke wave off Anthony Davis on the team’s final offensive possession only to jack up a contested long two pointer which clanked about 5 feet from the rim.
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Against the Spurs this season I watched Tyreke isolate on a last-minute possession in overtime and not even look for Davis as he launched a contested three pointer to lose the game.
Countless other times I checked this team’s box score only to see him go 8-23 while racking up only a few forced assists.
Tyreke has been a different beast since then. Over his last 5 games Tyreke has averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and only 2.8 turnovers while playing under 36 minutes a game and shooting 40% from three.
I won’t say he is better then Jrue Holiday, but his aggressiveness and confidence clearly outshines Jrue’s, who has a tendency to become passive in late game situations.
Anthony Davis needs to be appreciated as well. Over his last 5 games he is averaging 27.5 points a game while pulling down exactly 10 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks.
He had 32-10-3-3-4 tonight and he caught some ridiculous alley-oops, as well as providing clear defensive impact when it was needed.
Ironically, the biggest improvement for Davis can’t be measured with numbers, but rather by watching his demeanor. Davis has emerged as a leader for the Pelicans.
Against the Mavericks yesterday he stole the ball to seal the game and then screamed to the crowd to make sure they wouldn’t forget it.
Tonight I watched him demand the ball, survey the court, find Omer Asik under the basket and then scream once again after Omer finished through contact, letting his teammates know that was how he wanted them to execute.
He is showing high levels of maturity and leadership for someone who is only in his third NBA season and is still only 21 years old.
Monty Williams deserves credit too. For once he took a page out of the “Spurs Book of Basketball Enlightenment” by making sure no one on the team played more than 30 minutes, and once again enforced a very clear emphasis on ball movement and unselfish play making.
For the first time since 2010 this team is 3 games above .500, and it doesn’t look like they will slow down anytime soon.
Jan 26, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Henry Sims (35) reaches for the ball in front of New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the second quarter at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Ultimately beating the 76ers isn’t exactly a milestone, their roster currently has 12 undrafted players, which is more than any team in NBA history, and though the Pelicans held them to 74 points, they have the worst offense in the league by a large margin.
Regardless, the Pelicans did lose to this team very recently and have failed to show any kind of consistency throughout the season so far. Winning 4 games in a row something to be proud of.
Tyreke is playing unselfishly, Eric Gordon is waking up from his coma, and Davis is turning into the team’s military general.
The Pelicans next 5 games include the Nuggets, Clippers, Hawks, and Thunder. Hopefully they can harness this new found momentum and make a push for the playoffs, and as long as we have Anthony Davis anything is possible.
Tonight’s win pushed the Pelicans win streak to four games, and at least for the moment, gives Pelicans fans something to be hopeful for…..