Pelicans Are Top Bird In 115-100 Win Over Hawks
By Mike Delayo
The Undertaker. The Denver Nuggets. The Los Angeles Clippers. The Atlanta Hawks (40-9). What do those four entities all have in common?
They all saw streaks come to an end in New Orleans.
World Wrestling Entertainment’s Undertaker saw his fabled 21-0 streak at WrestleMania come to and end last year in the Superdome. The Nuggets were riding a seven game losing streak before actually beating the Pelicans last Wednesday. The Pels then ended the Clippers’ six game win streak two nights later.
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Not only did the Pelicans (26-22) end Atlanta’s 19 game win streak, they crushed them.
New Orleans dominated the game, and finished with advantages in nearly every category: Rebounding (52-32), Assists (30-19), Blocks (10-3) and Fast-Break Points (17-9) in addition to out shooting the Hawks all across the board.
Tonight was a fantastic team win for the Pels, but it all branches from the fantastic play of the Davis, Evans and Gordon trio.
Anthony Davis showed the national audience why he deserves to be the league’s MVP. His 29 points and 13 rebounds were almost all increasingly impressive.
Whether he was knocking down 20 foot jumpers, nearly dislocating his shoulder to catch a pass and finish at the basket, or putting back a missed Quincy Pondexter three, Davis was filling up the basket.
Most of these looks came as a result of the once again stellar play of Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon. Even though Gordon was in some early foul trouble and was forced to sit more than usual, he still played inspiring basketball.
Gordon racked up another 7 assists with only 1 turnover, but he also knocked down his own shots. He was 4-6 from behind the arc, 7-11 from the field and finished with 20 points. His recent resurgence has been a sight for sore eyes, and look for more on Gordon here tomorrow.
Evans finished the night with 15 points and 12 assists. Oh, and he also did not turn the ball over once. If that is not elite point guard play, I will never know what is. He was making all of the right plays all night long. No massive highlight real level plays were made by Evans, but his poise at the point is truly all the Pelicans could ask for. His performance as of late may really change the Pelicans’ philosophy once Jrue Holiday returns.
Feb 2, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) shoots over Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Hawks 115-100. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Big man Omer Asik deserves as much credit as anyone for his performance tonight. Not only did he collect 17 rebounds, but he was changing shots all night from under the basket. Al Horford and Paul Millsap, two of the most efficient big men in the league, were held to just 9-23 from the field and a combined total of 23 points.
The Hawks did miss dome easy layups, but credit that to the incredible presence Asik brought to the paint tonight. He may not light up the score board like some of his teammates, but nights like these should not go unnoticed.
Holiday will most likely be out until after the All-Star break. When he went down Pelicans fans, including myself, saw the team’s playoff chances dwindle.
However the Pels have now won 5 of their last 6 games, all without their starting point guard. Evans and Gordon have more than compensated for his absence, and the Pels are truly playing their best basketball of the season.
Nate Wolters did not see the floor tonight and despite a few bright moments, Jimmer Fredette struggled against the quickness of the Hawks. Having Jrue come off the bench with Pondexter and Anderson has quickly gone from completely unthinkable to actually possible.
Holiday’s leadership is too valuable to be on the bench for too long, but the Pels must at least consider the possibility of starting him on the bench and still playing him extended minutes. Whatever the case may be, his return is probably still a couple of weeks away. Until then, the Pelicans fans hope to see more of this in his absence: