Pelicans Burned By Turnovers In Loss To Heat
After building a 16-point first half lead, the New Orleans Pelicans gave away their advantage and ultimately the game, losing to the Miami Heat 100-96 on Sunday afternoon.
The Pelicans turned it over 25 times, their highest total of the season, in the defeat.
It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Pelicans, the team's second losing streak of at least four games this season. Both losing skids have come during the Pels' last 21 games, a stretch during which New Orleans has gone 8-13.
New Orleans also saw its streak of scoring 100 points or more on the road come to an end after 38 games.
Trey Murphy III led six Pelicans in double figures with 17 points, but just three of those came after halftime.
Jonas Valanciunas picked up his 25th double-double of the season with 14 points and 16 rebounds. JV moved into a tie with Giannis Antetokounmpo for sixth in the NBA in that category.
CJ McCollum ended his two-game Florida trip with 13 points on 16 attempts. Over the weekend CJ shot 11-for-37 (.297) from the field, including converting only four of 19 (.210) three pointers.
Larry Nance Jr. (12 pts, seven reb), Dyson Daniels (11 pts, seven reb, six ast), and Herb Jones (11 pts, four reb, 4 ast) provided solid support, but it wasn't enough to overcome a second half scoring drought and so many miscues.
It would have been hard to imagine the outcome after watching the opening 12 minutes of action.
The Pelicans roared out of the gate, building an 18-8 lead before fans could get settled into their seats.
Devonte Graham's last second heave from mid-court sent New Orleans into the second quarter up nine, 32-23.
Graham opened the scoring in the second quarter with another three-pointer, his last made field goal of the game, and the Pelicans were able to increase the lead to 16 when Valanciunas banked in a hook shot with just under eight minutes remaining in the half.
Then, the Pelicans started flying in the wrong direction. Suddenly, the basketball began flying all over the court. New Orleans stopped scoring and Miami was able to start its comeback.
After turning the ball over on six of their final seven possessions, the 16 point lead had shrunk to just six at the half.
From there, the Pelicans were never able to recapture any consistent rhythm on either end of the floor and Miami's hottest flames got going.
Tyler Herro scored a game-high 26 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler added 18 points each, and Kyle Lowry scored 17, including several big shots down the stretch.
When the Pelicans needed shots, they couldn't make them. When they needed stops, they couldn't get them.
Even when they needed calls, they weren't able to get one in their favor.
Perhaps the most controversial being a five second violation called on Dyson Daniels with New Orleans trailing by two with 15 seconds to play.
There is only winning and losing in professional sports.
The circumstances and conditions of the wins and losses don't matter.
There in only the next game.
And for the Pelicans, the next game comes on Tuesday night when they host the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets.
Perhaps the team will receive some good news this week regarding the status of their two top players, but until then the games go on and New Orleans will have to try to find a way to win them.
Read More Pelicans News:
- Brandon Ingram Clears Hurdle On Road To Return
- Pelican Vets Share Thoughts On Trade Market, Raptors
- Pelicans Being Patient With Kira Lewis Jr.
- Zion Falls Short of NBA Top 10 Jersey Sales
- Naji Marshall Just Keeps Making Plays That Matter
- Report: Pelicans Frustrated With Brandon Ingram Rehab
- Pelicans Issue Update On Zion Williamson's Injury
- CJ McCollum Shares Thoughts On Injury Bug
