The New Orleans Pelicans headed to San Antonio after beating the New York Knicks on Monday night. Unfortunately, the Pelicans struggled to score all night, and the Spurs pulled ahead for the win.
The New Orleans Pelicans had no business competing in this game, especially without Jrue Holiday and Alonzo Gee. However, the Pelicans put in an impressive effort to keep the game relatively close for the majority of the game. Newcomer James Ennis had a decent game marked by mental mistakes, but that should be expected considering he signed with the team the day of the game. Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see if Hamilton or Ennis can prove enough to the coaching staff and front office to warrant keeping them around for the remainder of the season.
MVP: Jordan Hamilton
Jordan Hamilton very quietly played a fantastic game for the New Orleans Pelicans. He was able to effectively score, facilitate for his teammates and rebound at a decent rate. He did not make many memorable plays, but he seemingly did everything right while he was on the floor. After struggling in his first few games, it was nice to see Jordan Hamilton have a good, well-rounded game for the New Orleans Pelicans against the San Antonio Spurs.
LVP: Alexis Ajinca
The Pelicans were clearly looking to run the offense through Alexis Ajinca. Unfortunately, Ajinca was seemingly incapable of making a basket. After scoring eight points in the first quarter, Ajinca went scoreless in the second and third quarters despite taking a vast number of shot attempts. His insistence on forcing shots in the post lead to countless empty possessions for the Pelicans, and his cold streak was a big factor in the Spurs being able to pull away in the third quarter.
X-factor: Toney Douglas
Toney Douglas continues to struggle from within the arc, but he also continues to thrive beyond it. Finishing with four looks from beyond the arc, Douglas was able to put points on the board in bunches despite struggling in the midrange and around the basket. In addition to his scoring from downtown, Douglas led the Pelicans in assists and was able to find his teammates in places that allowed them to score.
Turning point: Cold stretch in the third quarter
The Pelicans’ offense was cold after the first quarter, but the Spurs were able to capitalize in the third quarter. The game had been close up to that point, but the Spurs were able to blow the game open at that point and cruise to an easy victory. When the Pelicans needed a basket, they simply did not have a player that could score. Alexis Ajinca forced a multitude of shots from the post by design. Unfortunately, he missed everything in the third quarter.
Defining moment: Danny Green three in the third quarter
This play did not dramatically shit momentum, but it showed the maturity and intelligence of the San Antonio squad. After pumping his defender into a fly-by, Danny Green stepped up into a wide open space. Instead of taking the open long two pointer, Green shuffled back a couple feet behind the three point line and drilled the jumper. Instead of taking the good shot, Green got the great shot, and that is what allowed the Spurs to pull away despite neither team shooting well from the field.
Next: The Pelicans suffer even more injuries
That was…better than expected.
The Pelicans should have been steamrolled by the San Antonio Spurs, yet the Pelicans were surprisingly competitive. The Pelicans struggled to score the basketball, but they played effective defense for the majority of the contest. The effort was there all night for the Pelicans and that has to encourage Alvin Gentry. One thing is clear; the Pelicans do not quit, regardless of how many players are hurt. It’ll be interesting to see if they keep that up for the remainder of the season.