The Pelicans led from start to finish in their return to the court post-All-Star break on Friday, beating the Blazers 128-115.
The Good: The performance
It’s hard to single out one aspect of a game in which the Pelicans won wire-to-wire on the road against a team above them in the playoff race. Instead of picking just one, here’s a couple:
- Zion Williamson scores 20+ points again, finishing with 25 points in 29 minutes
- Jrue Holiday had 20 points, nine rebounds and four steals and hit some huge three-pointers
- The Pelicans finished with 36 assists on 45 field goals
- Josh Hart grabbed 13 rebounds off the bench, securing a double-double with 13 points as well
And those are just a few of the positives on a night full of them. The win also marked a season sweep of the Blazers, giving them four wins that could be critical come season’s end.
The Bad: Free throw shooting
New Orleans finished 20-of-33 from the line. If they had made their free throws in the first half, they would have flirted with a 90-point half. Fortunately, the offense was clicking at such a high rate that it never really mattered.
But that may not be the case against tougher teams down the stretch.
Honorable mentions: Turnovers
The Ball: A true point guard performance
Lonzo Ball was incredible on the night. He finished with 15 points, seven assists and four rebounds in a game-high 40 minutes. He also finished with a team-high plus-minus of +25 on the night.