The New Orleans Pelicans lost a heartbreaker 123-118 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the last game before the All-Star Break.
The Pelicans three-game win streak came to an end despite a career-high 32 points from rookie star Zion Williamson. Zion has set career highs in points in the last two games and has been everything he was advertised to be, but it wasn’t enough against a pesky and professional Thunder squad that always seemed to have an answer.
The Pelicans were unable to stop the Thunder pick-and-roll, as court general Chris Paul picked apart the New Orleans’ defense for 12 assists. He also added a few dagger three’s, as Paul has a knack for knowing when it is time for him to take over offensively.
It was a game of runs, with the Pelicans down by as many as 13 in the second half before rallying several times behind Williamson and some streaky shooting from J.J. Redick, who added 24 points in the losing effort.
It was a scrappy game for the Pelicans, who showed heart, but ultimately it exposed a few flaws that they will need to improve upon post All-Star break. Here are three takeaways from the Pelicans’ loss to the Thunder.
The Zion Effect
Williamson was a ton for the Pelicans tonight, pouring in 32 points, six rebounds, and one thunderous block. Zion was again a force in the paint, shooting 11-19 and adding 10 of 13 free throws. Williamson had his way with Steven Adams and was generally unstoppable when he got the ball down low.
The problem is once Williamson leaves the game the Pelicans are a completely different team. The offense is dynamic with Williamson on the floor, the ball moves and his presence is enough to open teammates for good shots. Every time Williamson left the game the Pelicans offense grew stagnant, there wasn’t as much ball movement or as many run-outs. Williamson is a game-changing force, but the Pelicans have to find a way to get buckets when he is off the floor.
Currently Zion is playing roughly the first seven minutes of the quarter and sitting the last five. Alvin Gentry may have to get more creative with his rotations so that Zion can close out quarters and get more run with Nicolo Melli and Redick, who spread the floor and give Williamson more room to operate.
Turnovers
The Pelicans have a bad habit of losing focus for 3-4 minute stretches where they get sloppy with the ball and commit turnovers. The Pelicans finished the game with 17 turnovers as a team, and while some of this was due to the Thunder’s stifling half court defense, many were of the “oops, my bad” variety. Lonzo Ball had a few spectacular passes in the game, including a floater to Jrue Holiday as he cut to the basket, but he also had a few head-scratching turnovers, ending with four to lead the team.
When the Pelicans turned it over the Thunder made them pay, ending the game with a 24-9 advantage on points off of turnovers. The Thunder also had a 19-10 advantage in fast break points, many of them coming off turnovers. This is a statistic that the Pelicans should normally win, and was a big part of why they lost the game.
New Orleans is a young team that ran into the wily veteran squad that knows how to do the little things to win, including getting deflections on defense and taking care of the ball on offense. If the Pelicans want to make a run at the playoffs they need to clean up these lapses in focus when they commit turnovers that lead to easy buckets.
The Pick-and-Roll
The Thunder put on a masterclass in the pick-and-roll, which opened up easy buckets in the paint and wide open three-point looks on the perimeter. Both Paul and Dennis Schroder got into the lane with impunity off picks. Paul was able to set up teammates and score when he needed to, while Schroder poured in 22 points, including 7-7 from the free throw line. It seemed like Paul and Schroder spent the entire night in the lane and the Thunder ended with a 54-42 advantage on points in the paint.
The pick-and-roll didn’t just get the Thunder buckets in the paint. They shot a blistering 48.1% from three-point range, knocking down 13, many of them wide open. Though the Pelicans netted 14, it took them eight more attempts to get them. Danilo Gallinari ended with 29 points, hitting three of five from behind the arc. Mike Muscala also hit a pair, both off the pick-and-roll. Because they have multiple big men who can shoot and a genius point guard, the Thunder’s PNR is one of the toughest in league to stop.
It was a frustrating loss for the Pelicans, who have now dropped the season series 3-0 to the Thunder. A win before the All-Star break would have been ideal, but the Pelicans showed who they are, an exciting team with a lot of heart who still have some learning to do.