New Orleans in late November: consecutive losses at Utah, part of a mediocre 9-9 start. New Orleans since then: two home victories over the same Jazz team, part of a 17-9 record in the past two months. Behind their best offensive performance of the campaign Tuesday – and one of the finest in team history – the Pelicans rolled to a dominant home win over the Jazz. New Orleans scored the most points in a game over the franchise’s 22 seasons, manhandling Utah in an array of categories.
“It was just an incredible performance by the guys in that locker room,” third-year head coach Willie Green said of his players. “Sharing the basketball, touching the paint, kicking out for threes, rebounding the ball... fun game to be a part of.”
THREE POINTS
Back to hot shooting.
To the delight of 16,000-plus fans in the Smoothie King Center, it appears as though the Pelicans’ torrid three-point accuracy merely took a brief one-game hiatus in Friday’s loss to Phoenix. New Orleans returned to torching the nets by going 16/31 (52 percent) in the first three quarters, with CJ McCollum at 7/10. McCollum tacked on two more long balls in the fourth period, threatening his franchise single-game record of 11 makes. Overall, the Pelicans made half of their 46 attempts from deep, with Jose Alvarado continuing the parade with three trifectas in the final 4:49. The 23 treys was two shy of tying the team record, set only six days ago vs. Charlotte.
Zion Williamson’s playmaking.
With opponents constantly focusing on trying to keep the two-time All-Star from wreaking havoc in the paint, he’s getting increasingly adept at anticipating and finding open teammates. Two games after he tied his career high by dishing out nine assists vs. Charlotte, this time he surpassed that with 11 dimes vs. Utah. It's also a testament to how much offensive firepower the Pelicans have that one of their most explosive weapons can only take 12 shots from the field, yet they still rack up over 75 points in each half and shoot 57 percent.
Herb Jones’ January.
Like McCollum, Jones began Tuesday’s game perfect from three-point range. The Pelicans are very difficult to beat when Jones connects from downtown, as he’s done at an elite level this month. He entered the Utah matchup at 19/36 on threes since Jan. 1, then went 4/4 there to improve to 23/40 (58 percent). More in line with the Jones brand, he delivered one of the best defensive sequences of his career in the second half, emphatically swatting Utah's John Collins under the rim, then stealing a pass at midcourt and saving the ball by the sideline, leading to a Pelicans basket.
BY THE NUMBERS
41: Pelicans assists, also a franchise record.
77: New Orleans first-half points, only the fourth time in franchise history it has tallied that many prior to intermission. The most recent instance was Jan. 18, 2020 (80, tied for most ever for the Pelicans).
58-38: New Orleans rebounding advantage, probably an overlooked stat amid so many notable team feats Tuesday – but an important one, given that Utah is elite in this category.
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