Evans Ignites Pelicans in Win Over Grizzlies

Tonight, the Pelicans (34-29) wrote another classic tale of two halves against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The first two quarters were quite the struggle.

One of the opening half’s most troubling stats was that Eric Gordon’s one field goal attempt. Mike Conley and Tony Allen are among the league’s best defending guards so they deserve some credit, but one shot is just not enough.

His unselfish play is nice to see, but sometimes you have to force the issue in the other direction. If the Pelicans want their offense to get back on track they need their scorers to score, or at the very least attempt a few shots.

Mar 7, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) shoots over Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) and guard Jordan Adams (3) during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing hurt the Pels more than turnovers. 13 turnovers in the first half (including 9 in the first quarter alone) will help even the worst of opponents inflate their leads.

Luckily Memphis only outscored New Orleans 10-8 in points off turnovers, partly thanks to the Grizzlies early free throw struggles (8-15 in the half).

Just like the turnovers, even though Memphis’ conversion rate was low, they still outscored the Pelicans (who did not miss from the stripe) 8-6 from the free throw line.

A low conversion rate is good, but if the other team gets enough opportunities the misses can start to become irrelevant.

Fortunately for New Orleans, Memphis continued to miss all night. They finished the night converting only 19-29 attempts, giving the Pelicans enough chances to sneak back into the game.

The second half was a different story entirely for New Orleans.

They busted out of the gate with a 14-3 run to start the third quarter that was anchored by the slicing and dicing of Tyreke Evans.

Evans (who finished with 26 points on 16 shots) did a great job of giving the Pelicans exactly what they needed.

After the entire team failed to penetrate the intense interior defense of the Grizzlies in the first half, Tyreke pounced at every opening he saw and it paid off.

Evans’ success rubbed off on his teammates in a very positive way. All the shots were falling from Norris Cole jumpers to Alexis Ajinca floaters.

It is frequently said that made shots are contagious, and that definitely rang true for New Orleans in tonight’s third quarter. After making only 15 shots in the entire

The defense also stepped up in a big way. The Grizzlies were forced into a multitude of tough shots and bad turnovers after a solid first half.

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They did not convert a field goal attempt until about four minutes to play in the quarter. The 33-17 victory in the third single handedly propelled the Pelicans in this crucial game.

Gordon only took five more shots in the second half, but he really made them count. 16 points on 6 shots is as efficient as a heat pump, and it is hard to ask for more given his few opportunities.

Anthony Davis deserves a bulk of the Pels shot attempts, but having the offense run through him exclusively has not panned out very well since his return.

During the big run for New Orleans, Davis converted on a couple shot opportunities that came in the flow of the offense.

It can be frustrating to see other players amassing similar shot attempt numbers, but Davis can still find a way to get the job done.

Mar 7, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) loses the ball as New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and guard Tyreke Evans (1) defend during the third quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Grizzlies 95-89. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

He scored 23 points to accompany his 10 rebounds and five blocks. It is such a luxury that this game was a relatively quiet one for Davis. No team would refuse that kind of production on any night.

My favorite part of Davis’ show tonight was his on ball defense on Zach Randolph.

Evans Ignites Pelicans in 95-89 Win Over Grizzlies

By Mike Delayo | Mar 7, 2015

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