Even with Elfrid Payton going off for 25 points and Anthony Davis racking up 34 points, it wasn’t enough for the New Orleans Pelicans (17-22) started off the new year just like they ended 2018 with a 126-121 loss to the Brooklyn Nets (18-21)
How It Happened:
The first quarter between these two teams saw the lead change hands five times, but the Brooklyn Nets were able to pull away with a late 13-8 run to make it a double digit ballgame. The Nets continued to impose their will early on in the second quarter, quickly making 53-33 thanks to a three-pointer by DeMarre Carroll with 8:38 left until halftime. The Pelicans were able to chip away at the lead late with a 14-5 run capped off by a layup from Elfrid Payton to make it 73-58 as both teams headed to the locker room.
It was a rough start to the second half for the Pelicans as the score got back up to 21 points after a Joe Harris reverse layup. Things looked better in the final moments in the fourth quarter, but it was just too little too late and the Pelicans suffered their second straight loss.
Big Number: 55
One of the big issues that has plagued this Pelicans team has been injuries and a lack of depth on the bench and that was a big reason why they came away with the loss on Wednesday night. You compare that with Brooklyn’s bench that racked up 55 points en route to a win. When the starting five isn’t clicking, sometimes the bench can turn things around and start building momentum when the time is right and what we saw in this game that was proven to be true.
Player of the Game: Anthony Davis
Nine times out of ten, I could give this honor to Anthony Davis and it’s almost certain to not receive any real guff. I mean this is a guy that put up 34 points and an impressive 26 rebounds in a losing effort. As mentioned earlier, Elfrid Payton had a solid performance, but sometimes that’s not enough for this team to put wins on the board.
Next Up: Saturday at Cleveland Cavaliers; Tipoff at 7 pm
-Clint Domingue