The New Orleans Pelicans put a beat down on the slumping Los Angeles Lakers last night for their second road win in a row over a Western Conference opponent.
The Lakers were never able to match the Pels’ intensity and played a sloppy game that included 16 turnovers in the first half alone.
New Orleans built a double-digit lead and then blew it open in the 3rd quarter, pushing the ball in transition and often beating the lifeless Lakers down the floor.
LA has won just 3-of-10 games and now look like a team the Pelicans might be able to chase down in the standings.
It was a joy to watch (and re-watch this morning), as the Pelicans put together a solid effort where they simply outplayed and outhustled the Lakers at every turn.
Here are three takeaways from the Pels’ biggest win of the season.
The New Orleans Pelicans in the standings
After last night’s win and a loss from Portland, the Pelicans have retaken the 10th spot in the standings with just 21 games left to play.
They are also just 2.5 games behind the Lakers for the 9th spot, which is starting to look like a possibility.
The Pelicans have the 21st most-difficult remaining schedule in the NBA, while the Lakers have the 2nd, and the two teams play each other twice more in the home stretch.
New Orleans is starting to roll behind Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, but it wasn’t just the starting lineup that played well last night.
The New Orleans Pelicans bench is starting to take form
It has taken a few games but Willie Green’s rotations are starting to shape up after a rough start to the CJ McCollum era.
I asked which role player was going to step up for the Pelicans, as their starting five has been good all season but they’ve often lacked impact contributions from the bench.
So far, Tony Snell has seized a larger role and is offering a 3-point threat that the Pels have lacked off the bench. He is not an all-world defender but he has good length is not a slouch. He had a nice steal last night when he disrupted the passing lane and also added six rebounds to go with his three 3-pointers.
Naji Marshall is also making his case for regular minutes, as he has played well defensively of late even though his shots still aren’t falling. He made some nice hustle plays against the Lakers and ran the floor well in transition.
The Jose Alvarado/Devonte’ Graham experiment went well last night and Graham has been more consistent since his move to the bench.
The New Orleans Pelicans don’t need their bench to score a ton of points but if they can each play their role effectively, the Pels are going to be tough to beat, especially when they are at full strength.
Jaxson Hayes running the floor for the Pelicans
Jaxson Hayes had a solid all-around game for the Pelicans last night and is starting to find his way in the starting lineup.
I thought Hayes was a big part of the Pels’ early success even when he didn’t score, as he was running the floor hard and forcing the Lakers into some tough defensive assignments.
When Hayes had one of the Lakers’ bigs on him he was simply trying to beat him down the floor, and when he had the smaller Ariza on him, Hayes got to his spot early and sealed Ariza, opening up driving lanes for Ingram, McCollum and Herb Jones in transition.
Hayes is at his best when he plays with energy and his athleticism is a weapon for the Pelicans in transition, whether he is catching a lob or drawing the attention of the shot blockers.
Hayes was active on both ends last night and is finally finding some consistency after an up and down season.
Hayes can be the X-factor for New Orleans as they push for the play-in tournament.