(Photo by Pkantz via Wikimedia Commons/Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.)
In a recent piece, I wrote about how I was concerned with the New Orleans Pelicans inconsistency and whether or not they were able to contend with the top teams in the West. This week, the Pelicans faced off against the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors; two games that featured both inconsistency, and missed opportunities for this young, Pelicans team.
New Orleans Pelicans at San Antonio Spurs L 112-93
On Monday night, the Pelicans tipped off against the Spurs inside the AT&T Center. A game in which many might think would be a Western Conference showdown, turned out to be a Western Conference beat down.
In the first quarter, both teams exchanged buckets, making the first quarter the only quarter throughout the whole entire game close. After the first came to a close, we all knew the game was over. The second quarter began fairly close, but within just a few minutes, it got out of hand. By halftime, the Spurs had the 17-point lead, 57-40. The second half was much worse though, as San Antonio was leading by 26 points at the end of the third, and just held on to their massive lead, demolishing the Pelicans 112-93.
Despite the loss, Ryan Anderson posted 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting from the field, along with a 3-pointer. He also chipped in three boards as well. Both Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans added in 12. Anthony Davis had a quiet night, finishing with just 10 points and six rebounds, but did block four shots.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors L 102-101
On Tuesday night, the Pelicans traveled home to take on the Golden State Warriors, another tough opponent.
The first quarter started off competitive and close, but as the quarter went on, the Warriors built a lead. By the end of one, Golden State led 28-18. In the second quarter, the Pelicans held in there, managing to cut the deficit to 6 almost midway through the quarter. But then, the Warriors went on an absolute tear, making the score 42-29 with 5:39 on the clock. At the end of the half, the Pelicans cut the lead to single-digits, 57-49. In the third, the Pelicans then went on a run, cutting the deficit to just 3 points with 7:31 on the clock. Just a few minutes later, with an Eric Gordon 3, New Orleans tied, and then later took the lead. The Warriors re-gained the lead once again later in the quarter, but by the end of three, the Pelicans led 77-76. The fourth quarter was highly contested, as both teams exchanged baskets. With just a few seconds left in this exciting game, Eric Gordon was wide open in the corner, all set for a three. Gordon got a great look, and the ball just missed, as it rolled around the rim, and went out. The Pelicans fell just short to the Warriors, 102-101. So close, but just short.
Ryan Anderson had another outstanding game, finishing with 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting from the field, along with 12 rebounds. Six Pelicans finished in double-digits in scoring. While the Pelicans came away with the loss, I was impressed with the Pelicans’ contributions, and the players who stepped up.