Pelicans (1-1), Hawks (0-2)
Everyone in New Orleans hoped to get an extended look at what recent draft picks Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell and Karlo Matkovic can do in summer league, but by the third quarter of Monday’s game, all three young Pelicans were sidelined by injury. As a result, several teammates received greater than expected opportunities to contribute. Two days after dropping its Las Vegas opener, New Orleans bounced back on the scoreboard with a victory over Atlanta, but the summer Pels were forced to do so with a revamped rotation.
Reserve wing Daeqwon Plowden and Tyrique Jones (filling in at starting center) were among the lesser-known summer leaguers who helped New Orleans crack the win column, despite DNPs for Daniels and Matkovic, as well as a third-quarter knee injury to Liddell that sent him to the locker room.
Plowden showed off his athleticism and versatility by scoring 16 points, while Jones dropped in 11 points and patrolled the paint to the tune of nine rebounds and four blocks.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Atlanta wasn’t able to put much of a dent in its fourth-quarter deficit, still trailing 81-67 midway through the period. The Pelicans used offense from a series of players to keep the Hawks at arm’s length. New Orleans won the final stanza 34-16, stretching the lead from 10 to 28.
Trey Murphy III scores 30 points vs. Atlanta Hawks | 2022 NBA Summer League Highlights
PELICANS PLAYERS TO WATCH
Erin Summers’ selection: Jared Harper
The Auburn product helped spearhead the offense for a second straight game. After scoring 18 points Saturday vs. Portland, the 5-foot-10 point guard deposited 14 and handed out seven assists.
Jim Eichenhofer’s selection: E.J. Liddell
The second-round pick from Ohio State had some excellent moments in the first half, but then sustained a knee injury that forced his exit. Liddell finished with six points, scoring twice on aggressive post-ups from the left block, along with an early athletic dunk off a feed from Harper.
“He’ll have an MRI later tonight, and obviously we’ll have more information,” summer head coach Jarron Collins said of Liddell’s status. “(Right now it is) a right knee sprain. We’ll see what it is tomorrow.”
Fans’ selection via Twitter poll: Trey Murphy III
Reminiscent of how he dominated in Las Vegas a year ago, Murphy was the best player on the floor while racking up 17 first-half points and going right at Atlanta’s defense. The one-year NBA veteran helped put the Hawks away after intermission with more buckets, totaling 30 points.