The New Orleans Pelicans put up a fight, but could not pull off an overtime victory against the Phoenix Suns in the Battle of the Basement.
Would anyone else be up for a seven-game series between these two? Hear me out— ignore the team records— you got back-to-back contests heading to overtime with bizarre finishes in regulation. The only problem for New Orleans Pelican fans is that the team keeps finding new ways to lose these contests.
Let’s take a look at 3 takeaways from this one.
1. Julius Randle, the good, the bad, and the ugly
If you’ve watched any Pelican games since the all-star break, you are fully aware of the strong stretch of games Julius Randle has been having. With the offseason looming—and given his player option—he’s put organizations around the league on notice. He’s warranted a lucrative contract, and his play has backed that up. However, his game is yet to be perfected, and there are notable defects on occasion. Watching him play, you are often reminded that he still is a developing 24-year-old.
Let’s start with what he did well. He put up 31 points, 14 rebounds, while shooting 54% from the field. As he often does, he controlled the paint with effective “bully-ball.” Overpowering the opposition in the block also freed him up to hit some mid-range jumpers in rhythm.
While Randle can use brute force to overwhelm his opposition in the paint, he often tries to force the issue excessively. He can get himself in trouble, and in the case of Friday’s game, he did just that. Instances like spinning into a double-team in the first quarter and trying to play hero ball late in the game were both negatives. He dribbled the clock out and alienated his teammates at times too, which you never like to see.
All of this resulted in some ugly turnovers. With a chance to seal the victory for his team, he kept Phoenix lingering around in the game with forced turnovers and wasted possessions. Yet still he was given the opportunity to win the game for the Pelicans down the stretch. Trailing by one with less than thirty seconds in the game remaining, he missed two shots at the foul line but was bailed out by the opposing coach’s mental error. Phoenix coach Igor Kokosov was given a technical foul for stepping foot onto the basketball court, and Ian Clark hit the free throw that sent the game into overtime.
Although Randle played well offensively (and perhaps this is being a little too picky), his lack of defensive presence and mistakes in the dying moments of regulation prevented the Pelicans from taking this game.
2. Defense/Turnovers Prevalent
The Pelicans shot lights out in the first half (67%) and put up 76 points. Balanced scoring and good ball movement set the tone early. However, even though they were shooting at an insanely high clip, the Suns were hanging around. These are two teams that were among the league’s worst defensively entering the contest, and it showed. New Orleans, 28th in the league in that aspect, played lackadaisically on their side of the court on Friday.
Julius Randle had just emphatically finished a fast break runout with a two-handed dunk, pushing the Pelicans lead to fifteen in the third quarter. But then, the scoring came to a halt. And with that, it was time for them to step up defensively to maintain the lead and turn defense back into offense. Naturally, the Suns went on a 16-0 run and stole the momentum of the game.
The problem wasn’t solely the defense. For a team that has trouble with turning the ball over—in fact they are 24th in the league in turnovers according to TeamRankings.com—Friday was no different. Committing fifteen turnovers against the Suns, their lack of ball security dug them in. Now if you combine their inability to stop Phoenix out in transition, sloppy play with the basketball, and a couple of the Suns’ shooters getting hot—defeat is imminent.
3. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen? No, Josh Jackson and Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford is a pioneer in the NBA. Himself, among others, revolutionized bench scoring and the importance of a great sixth man. He’s had a very successful career and deserves all the recognition and praise he receives. But he’s 38 years-old and in the twilight of his career. His averages this year are the worst since his 2000-01 season. To put that into perspective, the Patriots were still looking for their first Super Bowl when he entered the league.
But as we know, great players can turn back the clock from time and time. That’s what happened Friday night. Crawford went for 28 points, hitting his signature pull up jump shots and looking like his old self. For good measure, he added in seven assists and three steals.
He did not come alone. Josh Jackson went off. In a season that has been disappointing for the sophomore—to be subtle—he dropped 35 points. What’s more impressive is the way he went about his work. Jackson this season has been a subpar three-point shooter, sitting at 31.7%. But you could not tell him apart from the premier shooters in the league Friday. He went 5/8 from three and took the ball aggressively to the hoop.
In review, some games you just run into players that are hot and can take a game over. But lack of effort on the defensive end and mishandling the basketball are not going to help you overcome that adversity. The New Orleans Pelicans shot themselves in the foot. They had multiple chances to end this game. In fact, in the third quarter, they should have run away with the game and never looked back. But they failed to do that. New Orleans looks to get back on track when they visit Sacramento to play the Kings tomorrow night.