Win streak will end tonight, down 20 to Utah after 3. Pels can't throw it in the ocean from the pier tonight, 2 of 20 from behind the arc and not much better from the rest of the floor.
Final, Utah 121, Pels 100 (Joel Meyers refuses to call them the Jazz; they are "the team from Utah." Love it!) As a team, Pels shoot 14% from behind arc, 40% overall, 67% FTs. Won't win many like that. On the bright side, Herb Jones returned to the lineup though they limited his minutes. Ingram won't play this road trip, they say he suffered a "setback" in his rehab and will be re-evaluated in a week, but are insisting the scans of the injury look clean, just being precautious. We'll see. Rematch with Utah Thursday.
Utah 132, Pels 129 in OT. Utah causes bad matchup issues for us all over the floor (especially with no Ingram), but more importantly, they outworked the Pels all night, beating them on the glass, beating them to loose balls (Jose sat out tonight), denying us good looks either in the paint or behind the arc. They deserved the win. We've now fallen a game behind Memphis in the West, headed for Phoenix Saturday night.
Suns 118, Pels 114. Pels blow a 24-point lead as for the second game in a row, can't score and can't rebound down the stretch. Can't get to the line, either, attempting 13 FT's. Phoenix got 35. Someone could try explaining to me how Zion attempts 15 shots on the night within 4 feet of the basket and gets 7 FT attempts, but its pure BS. No other team takes the ball inside so often and gets rewarded so little for it. Devin Booker, 58 points, and attempted an unnecessary, uncontested 3 at the buzzer. But, you know, sportsmanship. Memphis lost as well, so still a game out of first, with Milwaukee coming in to the SKC Monday.
Pelicans lose their 4th straight, falling to the Bucks 128-119. Bucks took Zion out of the game most of the night, while Giannis as usual, had his way in the paint. He's a lot like Luka in Dallas, great players, but they can go to the goal with total abandon because they know the refs will bail them out if they make a mistake. Difference is, Giannis doesn't make many mistakes. He got 40, including 17 of 22 from the line. Pels shot 24 FTs as a team. You can see how frustrated Zion is becoming, not getting the calls these other guys get. Credit Jonas and CJ for making up the scoring with 37 and 31 each, but Pels played from behind most of the night and could never come all the way back. Game and a half back in the West, but in 4th as they lose the tiebreaker with Phoenix. They need Ingram back so bad, maybe Thursday vs. the Spurs.
Pels snap the losing streak, winning 126-117 over the Spurs. Zion entered the Health and Safety Protocol today; figure him to be out at least 4 games. CJ stepped up with a 40 point, 9 assist, 8 rebound night, including 4 3's in the 4th quarter when the Spurs made a run. With Larry Nance, Jr. also out, Billy Hernangomez and Jaxon Hayes got quality minutes and combined for 19 pooints and 10 rebounds, plus 5 assists by Billy. Free throws also were big, Pels made 25 of 27. Half game out of first in the West now (behind Memphis and Denver), back in action tomorrow night at OKC.
Pelicans 128, Thunder 125 in OT, snatching a victory out of a near disastrous loss. Pels led by as much as 23 in the 2nd quarter, up 18 at the half, then went totally flat for the first 18 minutes of the second half. Allowed OKC to take a 9-point lead, but buckled down and got it to OT. Trey Murphy found his shot, 23 points on 5 of 8 behind the line. And a huge game for Jaxon Hayes, with 21 points in 26 minutes off the bench. He played while Jonas sat the last few minutes of the fourth and the whole OT. Memphis and Denver are both leading in games on the West Coast (Memphis leads at Phoenix) so we'll probably be alone in 3rd place, a half game back at the end of the night. Home vs Indiana Monday.
from an article in the athletic: Jaxson Hayes has been an afterthought for the Pelicans most of this season. Despite being 22 years old and a top-10 pick in 2019, Hayes had only played at least 10 minutes in a game twice before Thursday night. It’s been tough to figure out where he fits on arguably the deepest roster in the NBA. But with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Larry Nance Jr. out for the past two nights, New Orleans needed some added support in the frontcourt. Hayes got his chance and ran with it. After playing 12 minutes in Thursday’s win over the Spurs, Hayes had, by far, his best performance of the season in a 128-125 overtime win Friday over Oklahoma City. He finished with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench, providing an energy boost that was desperately needed on the second night of a back-to-back. Even with Hayes’ heroics, it was one of the Pels’ weirdest performances of the season. They led by 21 points early before getting outscored 46-19 in the first 15 minutes of the second half. After looking like they were on their way to another comfortable win, just about everything fell apart for them on both ends. They finally got the game under control and pushed it to overtime, where CJ McCollum and Hayes did enough to get their team across the finish line. And Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still almost sent the game to double overtime when he barely missed a 28-footer at the buzzer following two missed free throws by Hayes that could have iced the victory. It was fitting that this Hayes performance came on a night when the Pels showed flashes of brilliance, followed immediately by head-scratching errors. That pattern has been the story of his career. Yet Friday’s win was also a reflection of the adversity the Pelicans have overcome this season. Even with star players shuffling in and out of the lineup and some erratic play, this team keeps finding ways to win games. They snapped a season-long four-game losing streak with back-to-back victories while missing arguably their three most important frontcourt players once the playoffs roll around. Going into Christmas, they’ll be tied for the most wins in the Western Conference despite having their entire starting lineup available in only 10 games. Once the story of this Pelicans season is finalized, it must start with the group’s depth and how it’s been the biggest driver for their rise in the West. The Pelicans’ bench is so potent and versatile that lottery picks like Kira Lewis Jr.and Hayes have been pushed out of the rotation. “This is a relentless group. We couldn’t be more proud of what they’re doing. It’s a credit to (our front office); they do a great job of going after high-character, highly competitive guys,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “You’ve seen it on display. I thought tonight was a tough back-to-back, but we just gutted it out. Sometimes, you have to do that in this league. ” Winning these kinds of games on a consistent basis has been an uncommon experience in New Orleans. Even before Williamson and Ingram, this franchise was known for relying on its stars to stay above water in the West. Last year, the Pels were 7-20 when Ingram didn’t play. They were 13-34 without him through his first three seasons as a Pelican. The struggles during Williamson’s extended absences have been well-documented. This year, they’re 11-6 without Ingram. They’re 5-2 without Williamson. They’ve even gone 3-1 in games when Ingram and Williamson haven’t played. After Friday’s win, Green said, “We don’t get that win without Jaxson Hayes.” On any given night, the Pels coach could repeat that same sentence with a different name.
