Pelicans vs. Suns Recap: The good, the bad and the Ball

A strong start by JJ Redick and a stronger finish by Brandon Ingram powered the Pelicans to a win on TNT over the Phoenix Suns on the road on Friday, 124-121. The Good: Brandon Ingram’s fourth quarter Up until the fourth quarter, this section seemed …

A strong start by JJ Redick and a stronger finish by Brandon Ingram powered the Pelicans to a win on TNT over the Phoenix Suns on the road on Friday, 124-121.

The Good: Brandon Ingram’s fourth quarter

Up until the fourth quarter, this section seemed like a runaway for Redick. But Ingram scored 14 points in the fourth and hit clutch basket after clutch basket down the stretch to turn a close game into a comfortable win. Ingram finished with a team-high 28 points, scored the final nine New Orleans’ points and was huge on both ends in the fourth. Tack on eight rebounds and five assists to his stat line and his plus-minus of +24 and the story of his big night is told.

Still, JJ Redick deserves a bit more than an honorable mention after scoring 26 points on the night. Redick was scorching from three-point range in the first quarter with back-to-back four-point play opportunities. He finished with 26 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting and 10-of-14 shooting overall.

Honorable Mentions: Kenrich Williams’ glue-guy plays, Jrue Holiday, E’Twaun Moore

The Bad: The Bench

Typically a strong suit for the Pelicans, the bench had a subpar night by its lofty standards. Moore finished with 19 points but all five players off the bench had negative plus-minus figures on the evening. Ironically enough, Moore had the lowest plus-minus on the team at -16.

Frank Jackson struggled, missing all four shots, and while Lonzo Ball returned, he predictably struggled from the field after a hot start.

Also interesting is that Nickeil Walker-Alexander played less than two minutes in the win. With the Pelicans getting healthy, the rotation will quickly become crowded again and NAW may be on the outside looking in.

Honorable Mention: The refs in the final seconds, Jrue Holiday’s free throws to end the game

The Ball: A strong return

Ball needed only seconds to find the scoring column again after making his return on Friday night. Ball connected on his first shot of the night, a three-pointer, before hitting a baseline jumper on his second attempt.

In total, Ball finished with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting overall and 2-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. He added five assists and a rebound as well. He did all of it in 19:11, a tick below the expected 20-minute cap on Ball’s night.

The focus now will be on how Ball feels after the game and whether his body reacts well to being back in action. That will determine his availability on Saturday.

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Lonzo Ball will make his return vs. Suns, but come off bench

Lonzo Ball will come off the bench for the first time in his New Orleans Pelicans career on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns.

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After being sidelined for six consecutive games, Lonzo Ball will make his return for the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix. Ball was listed as questionable going into Thursday’s game.

However, unlike every other game Ball has played with the Pelicans this season, he won’t be in the starting lineup, per Gambadoro.

While that could be a result of Gentry wanting to ease Ball back into the rotation, it’s more like that Gentry is happy with that he’s seen from the new-look starting backcourt featuring Holiday at the 1 — where Ball played originally — and JJ Redick at the 2.

Holiday and Redick haven’t been great defensively, posting a defensive rating of 112.5 in the 11 games they’ve played together, but they’ve been great offensively, posting an offensive rating of 110.6. For context, the pairing of Ball and Holiday posted an offensive rating of 106.8 and an overall net rating of -9.6.

Ball could eventually work his way back into the starting lineup, but until he starts to be more aggressive as a scorer — not just a shooter — veteran scorers like Redick will continue to leapfrog him in the rotation.

The Pelicans and Suns will tip-off at 10:30 p.m. EST.

Lonzo Ball listed as questionable vs. Suns

The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t rule Lonzo Ball out of their matchup with the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

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The New Orleans Pelicans will look to make it three wins in a row on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns and if Lonzo Ball is cleared to play, they’ll be in a great position to do that.

Ball has missed the last six games with an adductor strain he suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this month. On Wednesday, the Pelicans announced that Ball has been listed as questionable for Thursday night’s matchup with the Suns, leaving the door open for him to make his return in Phoenix.

It should be noted, though, that Ball has been listed as questionable in each of the last three games, too, including Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. With the exception of his status leading up to games, there has been little-to-no updates on the 22-year-old point guard’s health.

The good news is that the Pelicans have managed without Ball. In fact, in the six games New Orleans has played with Ball sidelined, they’ve gone 4-2. In the games that Ball played earlier in the season, they went 1-7.

That’s not to say Ball makes the Pelicans worse, but it may be a sign that the starting lineup they’ve been using in Ball’s absence has better chemistry than the one featuring Ball. For that reasons, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ball come off the bench upon his return.

We’ll get an update on Ball’s status and the starting lineup before tip-off at 10:30 p.m. EST.

Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers Recap: The Good, the Bad and the Ball

The New Orleans Pelicans leapfrogged the Portland Trail Blazers in the standings thanks to Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday.

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The New Orleans Pelicans spoiled Carmelo Anthony’s debut with the Portland Trail Blazers, beating the Trail Blazers 115-104 for their fifth win of the season. Here was the good, the bad and the Ball from Tuesday’s game.

The Good: The Starters

The Pelicans got their leading scorer Brandon Ingram back on Tuesday and he picked up right where he left off. In 34:33, he scored 21 points and added seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. However, for the first time in a while, he wasn’t the team’s leading scorer — that was Jrue Holiday.

Holiday finished the game with 22 points and 10 assists for his third triple-double of the regular season. Tuesday also marked his third game with at least 20 points in the last four games. With Ball sidelined, Holiday’s stepped up in a big way, as has JJ Redick, who scored 18 points for the Pelicans.

When Ball eventually returns from the adductor strain that has kept him out of the last six games, Gentry will have to decide whether or not it’s worth jeopardizing the chemistry and, most importantly, the success the new-look first unit has looked in Ball’s absence.

The Bad: The Portland Trail Blazers

Coming off of their best finish since the 2013-14 season, the Trail Blazers are the second-worst team in the NBA with a 5-10 record. While they’re hoping Carmelo Anthony will help them break out of their slump, he doesn’t offer much on the defensive end, which has been one of their main areas of struggle.

For their sake, they better hope Jusuf Nurkic comes back looking as good as he did last season and Anthony resembles a starting caliber player.

The Ball

Lonzo Ball missed his sixth straight game with an adductor strain. He will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.

Pelicans vs. Blazers Preview: Lillard-less Portland visits depleted New Orleans

The Lillard-, Nurkic- and Collins-less Blazers visit the Zion- and potentially Lonzo- and Ingram-less Pelicans.

Who: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers

When: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 8:00 p.m ET

Where: Smoothie King Center

How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans, NBATV

While no team can say they’ve had as many injuries as the Pelicans this season, the Trail Blazers would likely be second on the list of impactful injuries. Injuries to Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins have decimated an already thin front line for Portland and led to the signing of Carmelo Anthony, who is expected to make his debut on Tuesday.

The latest injury, though short-term, to Damian Lillard will have likely the biggest impact yet. While Anfernee Simons has had a breakout season, losing All-NBA players are incredibly difficult to replace.

On the Pelicans side, plenty of questions around their own injuries leave much of their gameplan on a nightly basis up in the air. Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball both are questionable along with Frank Jackson. With them, the Pelicans could pick up a big Western Conference win. Without them, they’ll have to continue an uphill battle against injuries.

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Carmelo Anthony expected to make Trail Blazers debut vs. Pelicans

Carmelo Anthony will hope to make promising debut against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

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It’s been over a year since Carmelo Anthony played in the NBA. Last time he played on an NBA court, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were still with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, the pair of former No. 2 overall picks are on the New Orleans Pelicans, who will host Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday for what is expected to be Anthony’s season debut.

Anthony agreed to a non-guaranteed deal with the Trail Blazers on Thursday, but he didn’t play in the two games they’ve played since then — including the game against the team that cut him last season, the Houston Rockets — because he’s targeting Tuesday for his season debut, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Anthony won’t solve all of Portland’s problems — especially not on defense, where they’re ranked No. 21 in the league — but he can still score at a high level. In the 10 games he played last season, be scored at least 20 points in three of them. That’s not to say the Trail Blazers should expect Anthony to return to his All-Star form this season, but given their disappointing 5-9 record, they certainly wouldn’t be upset if the 35-year-old turned back the clock.

The Trail Blazers will get an idea of how much Anthony still has left in the tank on Tuesday against the Pelicans. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. EST.

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Coach Alvin Gentry pleased with Pelicans’ youth stepping up in win over Warriors

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry is optimistic the burn his team’s young core is getting in the wake of multiple injuries to the team’s veterans will contribute to a winning culture long-term.

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The win might have come against the league-worst Golden State Warriors, but New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry was pleased with how his team responded just the same.

Gutting out their fourth win of the season with a late offensive outburst despite not having more than half their roster available due to injury, the team came away with a 108-100 victory through the contributions of both their veteran backcourt and a solid starting debut by rookie big man Jaxson Hayes.

Gentry acknowledged the extraordinary play of the Warriors’ young core who have been doing much of the team’s heavy lifting, particularly forward Eric Paschall, who logged his second 30-point outing of the season in the Warrior’s loss.

“They [have] a bunch of guys that are trying to establish [themselves] in the league,” he offered (via the New Orleans Pelicans). “But I thought we did everything that we needed to [get] the win. You know, J.J. [Redick] made a big shot … Jrue [Holiday] made a couple of big shots … to come away with a win is what we wanted to do and that’s what we accomplished.”

Both teams had off nights in terms of efficiency, and the Pels had trouble with the Warrior’s frontcourt, particularly Paschall — a fact not lost on Gentry. “Obviously, we didn’t shoot the ball very good,” he added, referencing the team’s 41.6 % shooting from the floor on the night.

“We still continue to struggle with keeping the ball out of the paint. “We’ve got to do a much better job,”, he added.

The Pelicans coach saw a lot of positive growth for the mostly-younger players who were able to step up and provide quality minutes in the wake of so many veterans being out hurt, especially Hayes (10 points and boards apiece with 3 blocks), forward Nicolo Melli (16 points and 5 rebounds) and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (19 points, 5 boards and 4 assists).

“I don’t think anything can take the place of experience of being in the game,” noted the New Orleans coach. “Learning from your mistakes or just figuring out what you can do to help the team.”

Gentry is optimistic the win is helping to lay a foundation for success once the team’s more seasoned players are able to return to action. With Lonzo Ball (hip), Brandon Ingram (knee), Derrick Favors (back), Jahlil Okafor (ankle), Frank Jackson (neck) and Josh Hart (knee) all out for the short term and rookie phenom Zion Wilson out until at least mid-December, the trio of healthy rookies may yet see some burn over the Pels’ next few games.

“Hopefully, this is going to be something that helps us down the road,” explained Gentry, “because when we do get healthy and get all the players back, then I think our depth will help even more because these guys will be put in a situation where they’ve got to play 25, 35 minutes.”

“At the end of the day, you have to be out there,” he added “You have to experience what it’s like in rotation, what it’s like setting the screen and rolling to the basket and the decisions that you have to make.”

With a tough west coast trip ahead after Tuesday’s home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Pelicans may have to settle for mostly moral victories in the coming weeks. But should Gentry’s suspicions about the value of live game action prove correct, the future of the team ought to be the brighter for it.

Lonzo Ball among nine Pelicans listed on injury report vs. Warriors

The Pelicans have half of their roster on their injury report.

The New Orleans Pelicans have ruled out Lonzo Ball for the fifth consecutive game as the 22-year-old point guard continues to deal with an adductor strain. Ball has been sidelined since Nov. 9.

The Pelicans also announced that Josh Hart, Jahlil Okafor, Zion Williamson and Darius Miller will sit out of Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram and Derrick Favors are listed as doubtful. In total, the Pelicans have nine players on their injury report, including Frank Jackson and JJ Redick, who are both listed as questionable.

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has rolled out nine different starting lineups this season as a result of the team’s injury struggles. On Saturday, Gentry started Jackson, Jrue Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, Kendrick Williams and Derrick Favors.

The Pelicans have a number of problems with their roster that have led to their disappointing 3-9 start, but injuries have kept them from making the adjustments they need to fix them. Let’s hope that the team can get healthy before playoffs are too far out of reach, assuming that’s already not the case.

Dwyane Wade trolls New Orleans Pelicans over injury report

Dwyane Wade took a moment to toss a friendly jab at the New Orleans Pelicans over their injury report before Saturday’s game.

The New Orleans Pelicans have a growing injury report. Lonzo Ball is still out after suffering a groin strain nearly two weeks ago, Josh Hart and Jahlil Okafor recently joined him and JJ Redick was the most-recent surprise exclusion for Saturday’s game.

That quartet has joined Zion Williamson and Darius Miller, players with varying forms of long-term injuries, to form more than a starting five of injured players on the bench. Brandon Ingram also joined the parade on Saturday after being listed as questionable heading into the night.

All of it added up to a rather hilariously long list of players out on the night, which Heat beat writer Ira Winderman noted prior to Saturday evening’s game.

Dwyane Wade, who spent many, many years with the Heat on multiple stops during his long career before retiring at the end of last season, is familiar with the Miami nightlife and couldn’t resist a joke at the Pelicans’ expense.

Ironically, the injuries the Pelicans suffered may have led to a longer night out in the clubs than would be the case if the players had played in the game. It’s a similar reason, though, that the Lakers and Clippers often have success against sides who have a night off in Los Angeles prior to a contest with one of the sides.

Jokes aside, the Pelicans are in an injury crisis that only got worse on Saturday with Derrick Favors and Frank Jackson both leaving the contest against the Heat with injuries.

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Pelicans vs. Heat Recap: The good, the bad and the Ball

Despite shooting 45.7 percent from beyond the arc and connecting on 16 three-pointers on the night, the New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Miami Heat on the road on Saturday, 109-94.

Despite shooting 45.7 percent from beyond the arc and connecting on 16 three-pointers on the night, the New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Miami Heat on the road on Saturday, 109-94.

The Good: The fight

On one hand, it’s long become repetitive to blame injuries for the Pelicans’ slow start this season. But on Saturday, with JJ Redick, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Darius Miller all already out, Derrick Favors and Frank Jackson each suffered injuries and played eight and five minutes, respectively.

And still, the Pelicans were in the contest late because of some timely three-point shooting. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, E’Twaun Moore and Nicolo Melli all his three-pointers in a stretch of the fourth to pull the guests back into the game. Moore and Kenrich Williams each played 39 minutes and Holiday, who has battled injuries this season, played 36 minutes.

Honorable mentions: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes’ alley-oop in the fourth

The Bad: Turnovers and late defense

There were a couple particular reasons why New Orleans couldn’t win on the night. One of them was mentioned in injuries. Another was the 18 turnovers that Miami turned into 21 points. The other was fourth-quarter defense.

While the Pelicans were bombing away in the fourth, hitting 8-of-12 threes in the period, Miami shot 71.4 percent from the field and hit four of their seven threes. Single-game and single-quarter defensive ratings aren’t great without context but the Pelicans finished with a fourth-quarter defensive rating of 136.0, which matches the eye test.

Honorable mentions: Injuries, injuries and injuries

The Ball: A growing injury report

While Lonzo Ball is injured, he’s being joined by a growing list of players. A host of Pelicans sat out on the night, though some may be a precaution with New Orleans playing the second part of a back-to-back against Golden State on Sunday.

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