The Bad: Free throw shooting
Fortunately, the Pelicans executed down the stretch because they struggled mightily at the line. New Orleans finished 24-of-39 from the line and many of those misses came in the fourth quarter.
Interestingly, it was typically reliable players that missed shots. JJ Redick missed a pair in the fourth quarter while Brandon Ingram, who 86% free throw shooter, shot just 6-of-10 from the line.
It was one of the only areas that team didn’t look great. Outside of that and maybe interior defense, where the team allowed 48 points in the paint and 35 total to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas, the Pelicans looked nothing like the team that played the first two games.