Anthony Davis led the New Orleans Pelicans to their third straight win, defeating the Indiana Pacers. The best power forward in the league showcased in this game why nobody will be taking that moniker from him anytime soon.
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night to maintain their winning streak. Anthony Davis (37 points, 14 rebounds and four assists) and DeMarcus Cousins (32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists) outmatched the Pacers frontcourt of Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young in surprising fashion.
Some might say that the fact that Domantas Sabonis sat out the game due to injury changed the overall outcome of the game, but that what-if scenario is just silly.
It was clear from the start of the game that Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young had a hard time guarding both Cousins and Davis, but the rest of their teammates picked up the slack in the second and third quarter, which has been the Achilles heel of the New Orleans Pelicans so far this season.
The Pelicans did pick it up at the end of the third quarter and carried their run into the fourth to secure their sixth win of the season. You have to be impressed with the Pelicans and their two All-Stars for what they mustered up on every possession in the last few minutes of the game.
The star of the game
Anthony Davis first and foremost had his best game of the season, from an efficiency standpoint. He was 14-of-18 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point land. He was extremely creative mixing up his shots in the second half of the game and was a nightmare for the Pacers defense.
More from New Orleans Pelicans
- NBA Trades: This Mavericks-Pelicans swap would boost Dallas’ frontline
- NBA Trades: This Pelicans-Raptors deal would send a star to the Big Easy
- NBA Rumors: Zion’s work ethic casts doubt on his future in New Orleans
- Ranking the 10 championship-less NBA teams by closeness to title
- NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson’s days with the Pelicans may be numbered
The man had no equal opposing him (no disrespect to either Myles Turner or Thaddeus Young) and it clearly showed during the game. It’ll be fascinating to see if this carries over to the Pelicans’ next game against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.
DeMarcus Cousins also had a productive night as he was 12-of-25 from the field and was 4-of-10 from the 3-point line. He was a matchup disaster for Myles Turner as the young center (in his second game back from a concussion injury) had a hard time defending Cousins.
He did manage to get Boogie into foul trouble late in the game, but the play of the game where Cousins tipped in a missed free throw attempt by Jrue Holiday over Turner in the last few seconds of the game was a backbreaker.
X-factors
The New Orleans Pelicans’ bench held its own for most of the game with 29 points, especially Jameer Nelson (10 points, 3 assists and 3 steals) and surprisingly Darius Miller (12 points, 3-of-5 from 3-point range). They really stepped it up for significant portions of the game and their consistency is needed for the Pelicans to take the next step in the Western Conference.
Both Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins put up video game numbers for this game, but don’t be fooled to believe that this type of production will guarantee wins for the Pelicans. The bench needs to be consistent to relieve pressure off the starters, including Boogie and the Brow.
The New Orleans Pelicans will be facing off against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night. It’ll be interesting to see how Davis and Cousins matchup against Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas. That Raptors’ frontcourt will have its hands full, but the focus will have to be stopping Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
Next: 2017-18 Week 4 NBA Power Rankings
Arguably the best backcourt in the Eastern Conference will be looking for its second straight win, and both Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore will need to be locked in on both ends of the floor to help the Pelicans get their fourth straight win.