Daily NBA Fix 3-25-14: Pelicans Thrive After Regulation
By Phil Watson
Welcome to your Daily NBA Fix for Tuesday, March 25, the morning after the New Orleans Pelicans picked up their fifth overtime win without a loss this season.
The Pelicans beat the Brooklyn Nets in overtime 109-104 at (forgive me as I suppress a chuckle) Smoothie King Arena and now lead the NBA with five OT wins without a loss. Three of those wins have come this month.
There are three teams unbeaten in overtime this season—the Indiana Pacers (4-0), the Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0) and the San Antonio Spurs (2-0).
It’s the second year in a row a team has been 5-0 in overtime games; the coincidence being that last year, that team was the Nets.
The Pelicans are one of only 14 teams since 1979-80 to be undefeated in at least five overtime games.
The Detroit Pistons in 2002-03 have the most in that span with eight wins without a loss in OT. The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets in 2006-07 were 7-0.
The 5-0 teams include the 1980-81 Spurs, 1982-83 76ers, 1986-87 Trail Blazers, 1995-96 Magic, 1996-97 Hawks and Charlotte Hornets, 1999-2000 76ers, 2003-04 Grizzlies and Lakers and the 2005-06 Cavaliers.
It’s worth pointing out that of those teams listed, only the 1982-83 Philadelphia club turned that regular-season success in overtime into a championship.
The Pelicans overtime games this year include:
- Dec. 2 at Chicago: 131-128 in triple overtime.
- Dec. 11 vs. Pistons: 111-106
- March 9 vs. Nuggets: 111-107
- March 16 vs. Celtics: 121-120
- March 24 vs. Nets: 109-104
The Daily NBA Fix will deliver highlights, game capsules, the top and bottom five players, the dreaded Goose Egg, Clean and Sober and Ironman awards, we’ll recap who’s circling the drain, there will be some interesting pieces of relevant (and not-so-relevant) information and we’ll look at today’s daily lines for those people who like to wager a buck or two.
Check out the highlights below from the night that was, then get into the game capsules (home teams in CAPS).