In NBA.com’s weekly power rankings column, New Orleans was chosen as the team to watch for Week 8, based on an intriguing three-game homestand against fellow Western Conference playoff contenders. The Pelicans routed Dallas in the middle game of the set, but dropped heartbreakers to open and close the five-day span in the Smoothie King Center.
Friday’s game vs. Memphis was nip-and-tuck throughout, with neither side ever leading by double digits. The Grizzlies eventually took the upper hand in the final minutes, clamping down on defense and forcing the Pelicans into a series of difficult attempts from the field. After a high-scoring opening three quarters – especially by slow-paced Grizzlies standards – the fourth period was a slow grind, won 22-19 by Memphis. The Grizzlies closed the game on a 15-3 run over the final five-plus minutes, after trailing by eight points.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
E’Twaun Moore misfired on a potential game-tying three-pointer from the left corner, a shot that was rebounded by Memphis. Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson went to the other end and sank one free throw for a two-possession margin, with only five seconds remaining.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
When Solomon Hill was moved into the New Orleans starting lineup this week, he wasn’t necessarily expected to provide a big offensive boost to the first string – especially since one wasn’t even needed. Known more for his defense, Hill played his best offensive game Friday in roughly 20 months, draining four three-pointers and totaling 14 points. He was 5/8 from the field and 4/6 from the arc.
FOCUS ON: LATE-GAME EXECUTION
Basketball analysts and NBA number-crunchers like to say that a team’s record in close games tends to even out over time – that much of it is based on luck in coin flip-type contests – but New Orleans’ struggles in the final minutes of fourth quarters have contributed greatly to a 2-6 record in games decided by five points or less. With the Western Conference standings packed as tightly as they are, even slightly better execution by the Pelicans in crunch time probably would’ve lifted them several spots higher in the pecking order. Instead, New Orleans is 0-5 since Thanksgiving Eve in games that could’ve gone either way, including road losses to Philadelphia, New York and Miami, along with home defeats this week to the Clippers and Memphis.
“You’ve got to finish games,” Alvin Gentry said after the loss to the Grizzlies. “That’s just the bottom line. It’s not really complicated. You get to the point where you’re eight (points) up at home with 5:12 to go. You’ve got to finish the game. We didn’t do that.”
New Orleans missed its last nine attempts from the field, including several that were up against the shot clock and not high-percentage looks. The Pelicans had several possessions in which some of the 24 seconds were eaten up without them getting into a play. “You have to be able to execute and score down the stretch,” Gentry said.
BY THE NUMBERS
7/29: New Orleans three-point shooting. Hill was excellent at 4/6, but the rest of the Pelicans combined to go just 3/23. It was a tough night for Nikola Mirotic (0/4) in his return to the court after a two-game absence due to illness. Moore shot 0/3. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were a solid 8/19.
20/24: Pelicans foul shooting, but that number was a bit misleading, because three of the four misses came when the score was tight in the fourth quarter.
3: Pelicans to tally 20-plus points, led by Julius Randle’s 26 points (to go with 13 rebounds). Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday notched 25 and 20 points, respectively.