Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans Twitter Reacts: Pelicans take down Chris Paul and the Clippers

By Brendon Kleen

Dec 28, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) is defended by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) is defended by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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We’re a small community, but a vivacious and witty one. New Orleans Pelicans Twitter Reacts is a Pelican Debrief original series to bring that community to life.

You probably know by now that the New Orleans Pelicans’ small lineup worked for the second time in as many games, vanquishing the Los Angeles Clippers. DeAndre Jordan’s 25 rebounds weren’t enough to overcome a balanced Pelicans’ performance, and neither was former Hornet Chris Paul’s 21-8-6 stat line.

This season, every win has been celebrated like it’s the first (maybe because it also seems like it could easily be the last), but a win over Chris Paul is an emotional triumph no matter the occasion. The Pelicans are 13-21, and only four games out of the playoffs in the loss column.

Rejoice with New Orleans Pelicans Twitter on this triumphant day! Let’s start at the beginning, when things were far from settled:

The Pelicans were out-rebounded by 14 in this game, and yet they won. I should have simply tweeted that stat out and made my own wall of fame. Instead, Mason Ginsberg of Bourbon Street Shots sent out a cryptic, acronym-filled tweet predicting doom for Alvin Gentry’s most…”creative” lineup of the night.

Shortly after the second quarter began, Gentry, a former Clippers assistant, was ejected from the game for out-arguing his old boss, Doc Rivers. The call in question was a foul on a Chris Paul 3-pointer, a play in which Paul clearly ripped through the defender’s hands to draw contact before rising up to shoot.

ANGER:

FOLLOW-UP EXPLANATION:

OBSERVATION:

Perhaps the most shocking thing about this win is the team’s ability to notch a victory an off night for Anthony Davis. The big man struggled to wrangle in the Clippers’ bigs, from Brandon Bass to Marreese Speights to DeAndre Jordan, and had to leave the court at one point in foul trouble, after his third foul of the first half.

We really don’t know what to do when the youngster performs poorly:

Except on nights where the other guy we lose our minds about is doing extremely well. That was the case for Buddy Hield last night, who scored 17 points on 7-11 shooting, including three 3-pointers and some nice looks off the dribble. Happiness is generally fleeting for Pelicans fans, but Buddy has been a nice source for it all year:

Any jokes aimed at the fact that Doc Rivers is paying his son several million dollars per year to do funny-looking things on a basketball court in Los Angeles are hilarious. Thanks, BSS.

Aftet the Pels embarrassed the Rivers family, things started to look up. Tyreke Evans did his thing, running the second unit and co-orchestrating with Jrue Holiday:

Dude even hit a pull-up three trailing the play in transition, like he’s Kevin Love or someone. Last night was the most fun Evans game of the year, by far.

BLOOD:

VICTORY:

Next: Player Grades from vanquishing the Clippers

You all really though I wasn’t using my own tweets in this post at all? Losers.

Enjoy this one, folks.

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