Pelicans Avoid Epic Collapse With Narrow Escape Over Lowly Grizzlies
The Pelicans narrowly escaped an epic collapse in their 96-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans saw their 25-point second-half lead dwindle down to five points before finally closing out the lowly Grizzlies. Memphis now has an NBA-leading nine-game losing streak, while the Pelicans end their four-game road trip with a 3-1 record. They improve to ten games over .500 for the first time since 2018.
New Orleans opened the game like a team ready to go home after a long road trip. They started the game with five turnovers in the first six minutes, and the Grizzlies capitalized with an 11-0 run. Memphis went up by eight points before Coach Willie Green inserted Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall in for some energy and effort. The move paid immediate dividends, with Alvarado scoring eight points in the final minutes of the first quarter.
Feb 12, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) and Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (24) react after the ball went out of bounds during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
The Pelicans bench outscored the Grizzlies bench 19-6 in the quarter. New Orleans led 31-26 after the first period. Memphis struggled to score in the second quarter with the Pelicans defense swarming. Once the Pelicans prioritized taking care of the basketball, their offense flourished, especially shooting from downtown. New Orleans committed just one turnover in the second quarter and shot 10/21 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson pushed the Pels lead into double-digits. The duo combined for 16 points in the quarter, giving New Orleans a 61-47 halftime lead. Jaren Jackson, Jr lead the Grizzlies with ten points in the first half. The Pelicans seemed poised to put the game away early in the third quarter.
New Orleans shot 8/9 to start the third quarter and built their biggest lead of the game at 25 points. The Grizzlies would not go quietly into the night, mounting a comeback of an 11-2 run late in the quarter. They pulled within 13 points at the quarter-end to stay within striking distance. Things got extremely interesting in the fourth quarter when the Pelicans couldn't throw a rock in the ocean. They started the quarter 1/9 with six turnovers as the Grizzlies crept closer.
There were three minutes left in the game and the Pelicans only had four fourth-quarter points. Memphis cut the lead to five points before Ingram hit two straight fade-away shots and dished an assist to Larry Nance, Jr to put the game away. New Orleans won the game despite scoring just ten points in the fourth quarter. Herb Jones led the team in scoring with 17 points.
Jackson, Jr. led the Grizzlies with 22 points, and Memphis as a team assisted on 28 of 34 made shots. They won the paint battle, outscoring the Pels 40-30 in the restricted area. New Orleans committed 19 turnovers, which Memphis converted into 20 points. The Pels return home for one final game before the All-Star break. They host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
