The rematch will occur in North Carolina later this season on a yet-to-be-scheduled date, but the first meeting between Ball brothers went to the younger sibling. Behind a near-triple-double from rookie point guard LaMelo Ball (12 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists), Charlotte came back from an 18-point deficit Friday, handing New Orleans its third straight loss this week in the Smoothie King Center. Lonzo Ball had a quiet game, posting five points and three assists.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
New Orleans airballed a three-point attempt trailing by six points in the final minute, setting up Devonte’ Graham to sink free throws for a 118-110 lead with 15 seconds left.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Zion Williamson powered his way to 26 points on 12/22 shooting, doing a ton of damage in the paint. The second-year pro also grabbed eight rebounds. He scored double-figure points in each half.
BY THE NUMBERS
45-36: Charlotte rebounding advantage. That marked only the second time New Orleans lost the rebounding battle this season.
19: New Orleans turnovers, leading to 27 Charlotte points. The Pelicans entered Friday’s games ranked No. 25 in the league in turnover percentage and will likely drop further in that stat.
15/38: Pelicans three-point shooting, a massive improvement from a season-worst 4/22 night in the previous game.
Revisiting Three Keys to Victory
SPRINT BACK ON DEFENSE
New Orleans was much, much better in this area, allowing just 13 fast-break points, after OKC sped its way to 27 on Wednesday. However, Charlotte’s halfcourt offense kicked into gear in the second half.
NEXT MAN UP
A very good night for New Orleans’ two reserves who logged the most minutes. It was JJ Redick’s best performance since the Dec. 23 opener in Toronto, notching 17 points and sinking four three-pointers. Josh Hart played one of his best games with 19 points and eight rebounds.
CONTAIN AIR JORDAN’S GORDON
The Pelicans did keep Gordon Hayward in check for a half, but then the forward broke out after intermission and made big shots. Hayward totaled 26 points on 9/18 shooting, including 4/7 three-point accuracy. He was coming off a career-high 44-point game at Atlanta two days earlier.
