After a rough start to the season, the New Orleans Pelicans (4-11) won their 3rd straight Wednesday night, topping the Suns in Phoenix 120-114.
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Evans averaged 16.6 points and 6.6 assists per game last season, helping the Pelicans make the playoffs for the first time without Chris Paul as part of the team (still the Hornets then).
Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (3) drives on New Orleans…
But now that they lost a very winnable game at home to a New Orleans Pelicans team who allowed them to take a 17 point first quarter lead, only to blow nearly all of it in the second quarter?
Everyone who played tonight for either team made positive contributions, the game was back and forth and no one player really stood out as bad.
Williams tied the score at 85-85 with two free throws with 5:56 remaining, and a Batum 3-pointer 58 seconds later put Charlotte in the lead for good. Forward Cody Zeller had 11, and center Al Jefferson and forward Marvin Williams finished with double-doubles, each scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
“I didn’t think we had the intensity we needed to start the game”, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. We didn’t have many turnovers and we’re supposed to win this game.
Down 58-54 at the halftime break, Washington closed out the third quarter with a 13-0 run over the final four minutes for an 81-74 lead.
At this point, Warren, Leuer and most of all, Devin Booker, are forcing head coach Jeff Hornacek’s hand for more minutes. After all, one could certainly forgive those two road losses to two Western Conference opponents. I thought our guys just relaxed and we gave them the confidence.
For the Suns, the road back to. The last basket of the run came when Bledsoe delivered a no-look bounce pass to Warren for a layup with 4:10 to go in the third.
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Although the Pelicans now have the fourth worst record in the National Basketball Association, it needs to be restated that injuries and the strength of schedule have been enormous detractors. He received warm applause when introduced before the game. Alex Len replaced him in the starting lineup. “Just pushing off it, working out before the games, I definitely have extra step in my game just pushing off it compared to training camp when I felt a click.”ABOUT THE SUNS (7-7): Power forward Markieff Morris had his best game of the season in the loss to the Spurs as he scored a season-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting and also collected eight rebounds”.
