The New Orleans Pelicans have fallen once again, 149-142, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This was the team's third overtime loss this season. For 24 minutes, the Pelicans looked like the better team, the smarter team, and the team that was going to come out on top at the end of this one. And surprisingly, they carried this over into the third quarter, as New Orleans led 82-67 with eight minutes to go, and then everything fell apart.
From that point on, New Orleans was outscored 82-60 to close the game—a staggering 22-point swing from the final eight minutes of the third quarter through the end of overtime.
The Timberwolves had the best player in this game, and Anthony Edwards reminded everyone of that as we got deeper into the third quarter. He finished the night with 44 points and six made threes, with 30 of those points coming in the 2nd half. I think if the Pelicans had a Herb Jones in the lineup, Edwards isn't able to take over like this, but either way, this group has to find ways to close out games.
Jose Alvarado also had a costly play down the stretch, turning the ball over after securing a rebound with 40 seconds left and a four-point lead.
If the Pelicans were able to pull this one out, the tone of this piece would be completely different, because the rookies were hooping, and Trey Murphy III was a flamethrower.
At least the future looks bright
This game was another display of why running the offense through Derik Queen is the direction this team must take. As a decision maker, Queen was as flawless as a 20-year-old rookie could be while trying to run an NBA offense. He finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while also winning his matchup with three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
DQ is also starting to develop a ton of chemistry with fellow rookie Micah Peavy as a cutter and Jeremiah Fears in the two-man game.
Trey Murphy III finished the game with 33 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists. I loved what I saw from him. He was making shots, taking rebounds off the glass, and going coast to coast. He was hitting the open man. Murphy III looked like a number one option, but he still has to get touches earlier in overtime than the final minute.
Jeremiah Fears continued to show why he's the future of this franchise at point guard. He finished with 21 points and five dimes, as his speed remains a primary reason for these big performances, leading to easy buckets for him and the rest of the team.
Also, shoutout to Saddiq Bey, who continues to be a professional while boosting his trade value. He was just a bully, finishing with 22 points despite being 0-3 from three.
These are the type of losses you love as a tanking team, because your rookies and expected core players looked phenomenal, and you still lost. But for a team that doesn't own its own first-round pick, losses like this one are terrifying, especially when they start piling up.