Pelicans (2-0), Heat (0-1)
LAS VEGAS – New Orleans was without the services of one of its projected key summer-league players Saturday, but the results remained largely the same. Despite not having guard Frank Jackson due to a left ankle sprain that will sideline him for the remainder of the Las Vegas circuit, the Pelicans scored easily and often, en route to a second straight one-sided victory. In only 40-minute games, New Orleans followed up Friday’s 90-point output with 110. That’s an average of 100.0 per game.
Undrafted free agent Trevon Bluiett continued to be a revelation, authoring a second straight stellar performance offensively. The Xavier (Ohio) product canned six three-pointers in consecutive wins over Toronto and Miami, pouring in 24 and 26 points, respectively.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Miami made a minor push early in the fourth quarter by scoring six straight points, but New Orleans quickly turned the Heat aside and regained a commanding advantage. The Pelicans led by as many as 19 in the first half and 24 in the third period.
PELICANS PLAYER UPDATES
Bluiett has been one of the best individual stories of summer league so far, firing in 12 of his 18 three-point attempts over two games, a rate of 66.7 percent. It was uncertain earlier in the week how prominent a role he’d fill on New Orleans’ summer squad, but the four-year college player has emerged as a major contributor. “I think he’s really in a good place,” Pelicans summer head coach Kevin Hanson said of Bluiett. “Going into this, I didn’t know if he’d crack the rotation. But then he really started shooting the ball well in practice, so I said, ‘This guy really needs some (playing) time.’ ” …
Jackson will now focus on getting ready for fall training camp. He is out 2-4 weeks. Hanson on Jackson: “I texted with him last night. He was fine. Obviously he’s a little bummed he’s out, but we all saw what he can do in a short amount of time. You can see he belongs – he just has to get his health right.” ...
Point guard Walter Lemon, who was on New Orleans big-league roster via 10-day contracts during the regular season, nearly produced a triple-double Friday, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Lemon: “We are playing at a fast pace, and I don’t think many teams are prepared to defend that, because it’s hard to scout. We don’t have set plays. Our offense is really created off of our defense.” …
Pelicans second-round pick Tony Carr showed more of his athleticism and ability off the dribble Saturday, getting into the lane for floaters and flip shots. The Penn State product scored nine points and dished four assists. …
Cheick Diallo just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“We were able to run off our stops. When we play in flow (offense), we’re a lot better. We’ve got a lot of good guards, and bigs who can run and roll to the rim. The biggest thing with this group is they’re very unselfish, and the ball never stops moving. They find each other. It’s been cool to watch over the last week.” – Hanson describing the 110-point eruption
“A lot of space. When you’re in college basketball, you feel like for your team you might have to do more than what your NBA skill may be. I’m exposing and showing my NBA skill. But I have to give it to my teammates – they play well and put me in good position.” – Bluiett on what has been behind his outstanding two-game start to summer league on the perimeter
“It surprised me. I didn’t know he could shoot it like that. Knowing we have a guy like that, and me being a point guard and a leader, I saw he got it going, and called extra plays for him. If he keeps scoring, I’m going to keep giving it to him. He’s been great for us, and we want him to keep it up for us.” – Lemon on Bluiett