Brooklyn had two future Hall of Famers on the floor. New Orleans didn’t have either of its two recent NBA All-Stars in uniform.
Despite that disadvantage and a 21-point second-half deficit, the Pelicans mounted a momentous comeback Friday, but it ultimately came up short. In clutch time with the outcome hanging in the balance, Kevin Durant and James Harden came up with the big baskets that have helped define their careers as elite scorers and All-NBA players.
“Everyone that touched the floor tonight came in and responded,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of his team’s effort in a ninth consecutive loss. “It’s just tough, man, coming up short like we are. There are no moral victories in the NBA. And as much as I am proud of our guys, I’m disappointed in the fact that we lost. And that won’t change.”
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Harden drained a wing three-pointer, giving Brooklyn a 117-110 lead with 29 seconds left. On the previous possession, New Orleans had a chance to cut the gap to a point, but Devonte’ Graham’s three-point attempt rolled off the rim. Brooklyn built its biggest lead at 90-69 on a Durant jumper midway through the third quarter, before New Orleans surged back into the hunt.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Facing one of his former NBA teams, Garrett Temple played his best offensive game as a Pelican, dropping in a season-best 17 points. He provided a big spark throughout the contest and much-needed scoring production against a high-caliber Brooklyn attack. Temple shot 4/8 from three-point distance.
BY THE NUMBERS
32-15: New Orleans advantage in bench scoring, topped by Herbert Jones notching 11 points and Jaxson Hayes adding nine.
17: New Orleans first-half assists, one of their best passing halves of the season. The Pelicans finished with 26. The Pelicans shot 53 percent from the field prior to intermission, staying in the game despite Brooklyn shooting 57 percent.
14/21: Brooklyn’s three-point shooting accuracy tally deep into the second half. Joe Harris was blazing hot, sinking each of his first six attempts from the arc.
REVISITING FANDUEL KEYS TO THE GAME
UNDERDOG MENTALITY
Brooklyn has a contingent of players who like to call themselves the “Blue Collar Boys,” but New Orleans needed hustle and that identity Friday. The Pelicans were pretty scrappy on defense against Harden and had one crowd-igniting possession in the second half of chasing down multiple offensive boards.
LIMIT MISTAKES
The Pelicans only committed six turnovers in the first half, but their 10 in the second was a bit too many to overcome.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
The Pelicans figured to need Valanciunas to dominate his matchup at center and he responded with his 11th straight double-double. The center powered his way to a 20-12 night, often guarded by the shorter Blake Griffin.
#FANFRIDAY
During the summer, Memphis was the winner of a Pelicans.com bracket asking which Pelicans home game fans were most looking forward to during the 2021-22 season. So it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that when a poll was conducted asking “Which of the next four Pelicans games are you most excited to see?” the Grizzlies again led balloting. Memphis (Saturday home game at 6 p.m.) picked up 53 percent of votes, followed by Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn (29 percent). The Pelicans are in the midst of a brutal schedule stretch, with the Nets game being the first of five straight vs. opponents with winning records.