Last week: Lost to Lakers 114-110, lost at Oklahoma City 109-104
This week: Sunday vs. Oklahoma City, Tuesday vs. Dallas, Thursday vs. Phoenix, Saturday at Dallas
The injury bug continues to bite the New Orleans Pelicans, with the team getting Jahlil Okafor back only to lose Kenrich Williams to an ankle injury in Friday’s loss at Oklahoma City.
Derrick Favors was ready to come back from a back injury, but has been away from the team the last two games following the death of his mother. New Orleans is still without No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson and did not have Lonzo Ball — back from a groin injury only to miss both games last week with a stomach virus.
The Pelicans opened the season with four straight losses and have matched that string with defeats in their last four games. That took the luster off their three-game winning streak Nov. 17-21.
Jrue Holiday came up big in the loss to the Lakers with 29 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and three steals (although he did have seven turnovers as well) and in the two games scored 43 points with 18 dimes, 10 boards, five steals and two blocks in 82 minutes, shooting 47.4 percent and a red-hot 6-for-11 from long range.
Last week: Won at Golden State 100-97, lost at Portland 136-119, beat New Orleans 109-104
This week: Sunday at New Orleans, Wednesday vs. Indiana, Friday vs, Minnesota
The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up a pair of wins last week, emerging from a bit of a rough patch that saw them win just twice in their previous eight games.
Andre Roberson still has not made his long-awaited return from a knee injury sustained January 2018, while Slam Dunk champion Hamidou Diallo will remain out for the next three to five weeks with a hyperextended right elbow.
Oklahoma City has had some difficulty closing out games against better teams, with eight of their 11 losses coming against teams that currently have above-.500 records. Seven of those eight losses has been by five points or less — something that could loom large with the Pacers and Timberwolves coming in this week.
Steven Adams hasn’t quite had the star breakout some were expecting this season, but he had a strong week last week, averaging 10.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 blocks in 25.5 minutes per game, shooting 62.5 percent overall.