The Bad: First half
It’s hard to put into words just how abysmal the first half was for the Pelicans. Of course, the Clippers hit shots at a nearly historic rate. Their 16 three-pointers in the opening two quarters were just one shy of an NBA record for one half. But the Pelicans weren’t simply helpless passengers in that half.
A number of things went wrong in those opening two frames. The Clippers consistently turned live-ball turnovers into points, finishing with 34 points off turnovers, as the Pelicans again struggled with giving the ball away for the second straight contest. As a team, the Pelicans also made just 16 field goals in the first half, matching Los Angeles’ three-point output.
But by the end of a half, multiple players weren’t getting back on defense which is as damning as any scoreline. It was a perfect storm of events that may have culminated in sending the Pelicans crashing out of the bubble.
Honorable mentions: Everything