Pels vs Blazers
To say the Pelicans were shorthanded on Monday, November 4 in their 118-100 loss to the Trailblazers would be an understatement. The Pels came into the game without five out of their top six players, as CJ Mccollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Dejounte Murray, and Zion Williamson were all out with various injuries (in Zion's case, it has been an illness keeping him out).
With everyone else out, Brandon Ingram had to be in full control and, for the most part, he was. Ingram had 27 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds, setting the tone for the Pels in the first half, where he had 16 of those 27.
Ingram wasn't the only one who showed up on Monday. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Brandon Boston Jr. continue to prove their worth as strong role players. JRE had 12 on an efficient 5/7 shooting night, while Boston Jr. had 20 points of his own.
Yesterday's game was a tale of two halves for the Pelicans, particularly on offense. While the ball was moving around in the first half, spreading the wealth and getting into action early, the second half saw the New Orleans offense slowing down with less movement and often waiting until the end of the shot clock to attack inside. A big part of this was Portland's adjustment to double team Ingram, preventing him from going into his isolations like he did in the first half. The stagnant offense led to the Pels turning the ball over, as they had 16 on the night.
The Blazers countered New Orleans with a balanced attack, as they had five players finish with over 15 points. Veterans Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton put up 24 and 19 respectively (Ayton also having 13 rebounds), but the standout was Dalano Banton. Banton didn't check into the game until the fourth quarter and had his way with the Pels once he checked in. Banton finished with 20 points on 8/9 shooting and was a huge part of Portland's final run to seal the game.
Up
next for the Pelicans is the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday,
November 6. While Zion was unable to even attend the game due to "doctor's
orders," as Willie Green put it, the Pelicans better hope he heals in time to
get back on the court Wednesday.
