New Orleans Pelicans Player Grades: Late game alley-oop propels Pelicans to victory against Charlotte Hornets
By Rick Stone
The New Orleans Pelicans drew up a beautiful play late to secure a 109-107 victory against the Charlotte Hornets.
The New Orleans Pelicans went down to the wire at home against the Charlotte Hornets, yet were able to secure their second straight defense carried by an offensive explosion by Ryan Anderson and a perfectly executed play late drawn by Alvin Gentry.
With just 19 seconds left in the game, the Pelicans and Hornets were tied at 107. Jrue Holiday ran a double pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson. He went the direction of AD’s pick and drove to the side, while Davis went towards the basket. The Hornets chose to guard Jrue, and he found Davis for an easy alley-oop. Nic Batum then missed a three and New Orleans held on for the victory.
Ryan Anderson stole the show with 32 points on 19 shots from the field, including 6-8 from behind the three-point line. He also added eight rebounds. Anthony Davis also had a massive game with 22 points, five rebounds and two blocks. The Hornets were led by Kemba Walker and Nic Batum, who both had 25 points in the game.
107. 170. 109. 69. Final
<strong><a href=. PG/SG. New Orleans Pelicans. TYREKE EVANS. B-
SG. New Orleans Pelicans. ERIC GORDON. C-. <strong><a href=
B. <strong><a href=. SF. New Orleans Pelicans. DANTE CUNNINGHAM
A-. <b><a href=. PF. New Orleans Pelicans. ANTHONY DAVIS
C. <strong><a href=. C. New Orleans Pelicans. OMER ASIK
JRUE HOLIDAY. B+. <strong><a href=. PG. New Orleans Pelicans
C. <strong><a href=. PG. New Orleans Pelicans. NORRIS COLE
New Orleans Pelicans. RYAN ANDERSON. A. <strong><a href=. PF/SF
New Orleans Pelicans. ALEXIS AJINCA. C+. <strong><a href=. C
New Orleans Pelicans. ALONZO GEE. B. <strong><a href=. SF
Other Observations:
- One of the big keys for the Pelicans offense tonight was the lack of turnovers. New Orleans only turned the ball over eight times tonight. The Hornets turned that into 15 points off turnovers, way more than the Pelicans got from the Hornets 11 turnovers. Not giving Charlotte those opportunities kept New Orleans in this contest.
- New Orleans benefited tonight from Charlotte’s love with the outside shot. The Hornets shot 35 three-point attempts compared to the Pelicans 27 long ball attempts. If the Pelicans can keep teams out of the paint, they’re going to be more likely to execute the game in their favor. Plain and simple. Tonight was a good example.
- One of the other things New Orleans did to secure this game was play defense without fouling. For a team that’s had a major issue with this all season, they only rewarded Charlotte 12 free-throws in the game. The Pelicans played disciplined basketball tonight and it payed off.
- This was only the third win for the Pelicans against the Eastern Conference this year. For a season where the East looks more powerful than the West, any win against the other Conference is a major victory. Not to mention a two-game win streak. If this team wants to turn their season around, now’s the time. It’s up to them at this point.
Next: Grades for Wednesday's Win against the Kings
The New Orleans Pelicans next game will have wait until Martin Luther King Day as they play the Memphis Grizzlies on the road. Tip is scheduled for 1:30 PM CST and will be aired on ESPN.