Jazz (37-30), Pelicans (38-28)
On his 25th birthday, Anthony Davis registered a triple-double Sunday, featuring a career-high 10 blocks. He would’ve traded any of his gaudy individual statistics in exchange for a victory, while facing the surging Utah Jazz.
Davis finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks against the Jazz, but the visitors used a third-quarter scoring spurt by Donovan Mitchell and an excellent fourth period to secure a comeback win. New Orleans led by as many as nine points in the second half, before Utah held a 68-48 edge after intermission.
“It doesn’t matter,” Davis said after the game, when asked about his blocks. “We lost, so I don’t really care about any career high or anything like that. We lost.”
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Utah’s Ricky Rubio beat the shot clock with a wing three-pointer, giving the Jazz a 109-97 lead with 1:50 remaining. On a previous possession New Orleans had a chance to cut a nine-point deficit to six, but misfired on a three-point attempt. The Pelicans subbed out Davis and Jrue Holiday shortly thereafter.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Six years into his NBA career, Davis posted his first triple-double as a pro, something that would require a career high in either blocks or assists, based on the fact that his best outing in those categories prior to Sunday was nine and seven, respectively. Davis seemed intent on being disruptive defensively from the get-go; in addition to his 10 blocks, he also had three steals.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“Everything was too easy for them at the beginning of the game, whether it was easy layups. We had some good looks and just missed them. We’ve got to come out at the beginning of games with more energy.” – Davis on a first quarter that set the tone for Utah, which led 29-23 after a period
“I felt fine. The ankle felt very fine.” – Davis on his physical condition after missing Friday’s game due to a left ankle sprain
“They did a good job of getting into the paint. All the penetration they had hurt us, because it kept the pressure on our big guys.” – Alvin Gentry on the play of Rubio (30 points) and Mitchell (27 points), who accounted for nearly half of Utah’s offensive output
BY THE NUMBERS
5/25: Utah bench shooting from the field. The Jazz overcame that based on quality games for four starters, including a 19-16 game by Rudy Gobert.
6/21: New Orleans three-point shooting. The Pelicans shot 29 percent from long distance, with Jrue Holiday (3/6) the lone Pelican to connect more than once.