New Orleans Pelicans show flashes, but can’t finish; 3 takeaways
By Phil Watson
The New Orleans Pelicans had designs on spoiling ring night for the defending champion Toronto Raptors, but couldn’t close it out in a 130-122 OT loss.
The New Orleans Pelicans opened the season Tuesday night as “the other team” in Toronto as the Raptors commemorated their first title with a banner raising and ring ceremony.
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The Pelicans played a solid game … for the first 44 minutes or so. They were in position to pick up the win, leading by six with 4:29 to to, but Toronto closed the game with a 14-8 surge to force overtime and then put New Orleans away by scoring eight unanswered points in the final 2:06 of OT to hand the Pelicans a 130-122 loss.
The new-look Pelicans had seven of the 12 players who saw action Tuesday night making their debuts for the team and at times, that lack of continuity showed, particularly late in the game.
Coach Alvin Gentry has not settled on a rotation yet; of the 12 players, none played fewer than 12 minutes. That new team smell bore out in the 19 turnovers the Pelicans committed — five by veteran Jrue Holiday.
Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 22 points, but was 8-of-19 from the floor and 2-for-5 from deep. Josh Hart came off the bench for 15 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes, while Holiday had six assists.
Here are three takeaways from an obviously small sample size by the Pelicans.