Player Grades: New Orleans Pelicans Lose Heartbreaker to Golden State Warriors
By Rick Stone
The New Orleans Pelicans lost a heartbreaking game to the Golden State Warriors, where they looked their best all season.
It all seemed so close for the New Orleans Pelicans.
New Orleans led the Golden State Warriors late in the fourth quarter and came so close to netting a massive win at home.
Unfortunately, the gas fell just a bit short. The Pelicans could not finish in the end and fell short to Golden State 113-109.
At halftime, the Pels were shooting 10-19 from behind the arc and scored 65 points. That highlighted the seven point halftime lead.
Unfortunately, the Warriors found their groove shooting in the second half and outs the Pelicans late in the contest.
The Pels were led by Anthony Davis, who had 28 points and five blocks. The other star of the game was Langston Galloway, who scored 20 points on 5-12 shooting from deep.
113. 41. 109. 69. Final
. JRUE HOLIDAY. B+. Jrue Holiday was not the scorer the Pelicans would have originally expected tonight. However, he was everywhere in every other stat. Eight rebounds, six assists and four steals really brought the extra work necessary to stay in this game. Again Steph Curry, that’s pretty darn good.. PG
BUDDY HIELD. B-. The more starts Buddy is getting, the more his confidence is starting to show in his game. He played just 18 minutes, but really seems to be comfortable in this starting unit. Seven points and three rebounds is decent for a rookie in a starting role against Klay Thompson. It should improve as he gets more starts.. SG.
SF/PF. . SOLOMON HILL. C+. Solomon Hill shot 5-10 from the field, which is a fantastic shooting night for him. His six rebounds also helped a Pelicans’ team that needed to limit all extra opportunities. However, his defense was lacking at times and gave up a few offensive boards. Decent game for Hill’s standards.
Anthony Davis had a very “Anthony Davis” type game. 28 points on 10-14 shooting, eight rebounds and five blocks. That’s everything you expect out of him on offense. Defense, however, became a tricky place for AD. Sure, the five blocks were massive. However, it was tough for him to find a comfortable defensive matchup, when Golden State went small. He did everything he could, other than the final possession of him getting stripped by Draymond Green. That may have been a foul, but it did cost the Pels a chance to win the game.. PF/C. . ANTHONY DAVIS. A
. ALEXIS AJINCA. B-. It’s so hard to grade Alexis Ajinca. His unit did so well to create separation from the Warriors early on. He had two massive blocks that made highlight reels. However, his impact other than that was minor. His interior defense was okay, but not fantastic. Ajinca was good. Not great, but good.. C
B+. Tim Frazier has been fantastic all year for the Pelicans. 13 points and eight assists were great numbers, but his effort on the defensive end, against the best scoring guards in the league, really shined tonight. One of the best signings the Pelicans have made in a long time.. PG. . TIM FRAZIER
PG/SG. . LANGSTON GALLOWAY. A-. When he’s making all his three’s, he can change the game. For one stretch of the game, Galloway could not miss from deep and kept the Pels rolling past a Warriors run. However, his misses late in the game did cost the team chances at a victory. It balances itself out when looking at his 5-12 shooting night from deep. The difference form a normal game was his steals. Three of them to be exact. His defensive effort on lazy Warriors passes helped the Pelicans develop a transition game. Putting it all together, it was a great night for Langston.
SG. . E'TWAUN MOORE. B-. E’Twaun Moore had an okay game, yet the strong performances of Galloway and Holiday took him out of the late game lineups. He did not let the game get out of hand, yet never helped the Pels create separation. Great job passing tonight to get his five assists.
REGGIE WILLIAMS. INC. Reggie Williams had a few decent plays in his nine minutes that created excitement from the Warriors broadcasters. Still, the Pels did not depend on him late in the game.. SF.
B+. Of all the Pelicans’ role players, Terrence Jones has become the most consistent. His eight points on 4-6 shooting, to go with 10 rebounds really did wonders for the Pelicans. His +10 +/- really affected the game flow and helped push more “one-and-done’s” for Golden State. He did a great job. Surprised he did not get more minutes than 21.. PF. . TERRENCE JONES
Other Observations:
- There’s not much to say other than the obvious, here. This was a big opportunity for the New Orleans Pelicans. It did not pan out the way they hoped. However, they took one of the best teams the league had to offer and nearly outdueled a team with unreal offensive firepower. New Orleans has nothing to feel bad about other than not winning. They gave a fantastic effort tonight.
Next: New Orleans Pelicans Rumors: Omer Asik Back on the Trade Block
The New Orleans Pelicans will look to get back on the winning track Thursday night, as they take on the Indiana Pacers at home. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 PM CST.