New Orleans played one of its best defensive games of 2019-20, holding Brooklyn to just 42 percent shooting from the field and no more than 21 points in any of the first three quarters, but it still wasn’t enough. The Pelicans simultaneously turned in their poorest shooting game of the season, finishing at just 34.3 percent from the field, resulting in a 13th consecutive defeat. Both teams attempted three-point shots in the final 30 seconds of regulation to try to take the lead, but misfired.
On a night when there were plenty of offensive droughts for both teams, the second quarter proved costly for New Orleans, which led 35-27 at 7:30 of the period, but did not score again before intermission. Brooklyn took advantage with a 15-0 run.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
New Orleans missed a three-point shot down by five with less than a minute left in OT, followed by Brooklyn taking nearly 24 seconds off the clock and the Pelicans committing a turnover on a bad pass. Leading 106-101 with 17 ticks to go, Brooklyn ran more time off the clock, eventually seeing Garrett Temple go to the foul line at 11.8. The LSU product sank two free throws to make it a three-possession margin.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
On a night when there was poor shooting from nearly every player for both teams, Jaxson Hayes provided some welcome efficiency, going 4/6 from the field and tallying 13 points. The rookie from Texas also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots in his 28 minutes of action. Among the nine New Orleans players who received playing time, Hayes and fellow rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker (4 of 7) were the only Pelicans to make at least half of their shots from the field.
BY THE NUMBERS
38-31: Pelicans advantage in bench scoring, with rookies accounting for all of those points other than Josh Hart’s 14 points, featuring 4/10 three-point shooting.
28.2, 27.5: Brooklyn and New Orleans three-point shooting, respectively. The clubs nearly posted identical numbers, with the Nets 11/39 and the Pelicans 11/40.
#PLUSMINUSGOINGUPONATUESDAY
For all 12 Tuesday games throughout New Orleans’ regular season, we’ll be selecting a Pelicans player we think will have the best plus-minus on the stat sheet that night. Daniel Sallerson selected Jrue Holiday, while Jim Eichenhofer picked Jaxson Hayes. In a fan poll among four other candidates, Brandon Ingram was chosen. The winner of the fourth plus-minus contest was Sallerson (Holiday finished at plus-5, just ahead of Hayes at plus-4, while Ingram was minus-13), making the season standings Daniel 2, Jim 1, Fans 1.
Previous winners
Oct. 22 at Toronto, Jim – Nicolo Melli (Daniel pick: Brandon Ingram; Fans: Jrue Holiday)
Nov. 19 vs. Portland, Fans – Brandon Ingram (Daniel: Nickeil Alexander-Walker; Jim: Kenrich Williams)
Dec. 3 vs. Dallas, Daniel – Josh Hart (Jim: E’Twaun Moore; Fans: Jrue Holiday)
