Usually when a single player racks up more than 40 points in a game, that team usually wins. In the case of the New Orleans Pelicans, a stat line that had never been seen before wasn’t enough to keep away the Denver Nuggets from coming away with a 107-102 win in the Smoothie King Center.
The first quarter opened up with both teams exchanging shots, but the Nuggets began to get a lead going, but several trips to the charity stripe gave the Nuggets a chance to gain an early edge.
The Pels looked to be hanging around in the second quarter, but the defense led to the deficit increasing to the double digits and some poor shooting made a bad situation worse and ended the first half down 60-48.
After both teams came out of the locker room to start the second half, it looked like the adjustments Alvin Gentry made defensively paid off as a 9-2 run early in the third began to chop away at the lead, but the Nuggets weren’t about to let the lead slip away.
The Pelicans looked to be getting a rally of sorts going beginning late in the third quarter when Lance Stephenson slammed one down with authority to get the crowd into it and breathe some life into this team. The Pelicans would cut the lead down to two points, but low-percentage shots led to the first game of the season being a loss for New Orleans.
The Pelicans (0-1) will stay in town for Friday night when they take on the defending Golden State Warriors (0-1) with tipoff set for 8 pm.
By the Numbers
3: The number of three-pointers made by the New Orleans Pelicans. They went 3-of-19 from behind the arc with two of them coming from E’Twaun Moore.
4: Number of points rookie Buddy Hield had in his debut in the association. Not the best debut for last year’s Wooden award winner.
50: Number of points Anthony Davis had a career high inside the Smoothie King Center. He ended his night with 50 points, 16 boards, five assists, seven steals, and four blocks.
1: After tonight’s game, only one player in NBA history has had 45 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and five steals since steals were recorded in the 1973-74 season. That player is Anthony Davis.
-Clint Domingue