In Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets, the New Orleans Pelicans showed a lot of courage and a never-say-die attitude in the Pels’ comeback victory (133-128). After trailing by just nine after one quarter, the Pelicans were defeated by the Rockets in the second quarter, outscored 34-21 and trailing by 22 at the half.
This disastrous second quarter didn’t stop the Pelicans from competing, however, as they cut Houston’s 25-point lead to 16 at the start of the fourth quarter. New Orleans would then go on a 17-5 run led by a heroic effort by Herb Jones, which ended the game with a career-high eight steals.
New Orleans defeated Houston 38-22 overall in the fourth to force overtime. A big part of this was Saddiq Bey, who scored 11 points in fourth and continued his tear in OT. The first year, Pelican finished the game with 29 points and cemented what was by far his best game since arriving in New Orleans.
By halftime, I had already drafted an article highlighting how the Pelicans, even when healthy, didn’t have the talent to even compete for a play-in spot in the Western Conference. But the resilience and grit this group showed on Thursday against a team that many people, including myself, consider a title contender makes me believe this could be the start of a turnaround.
A play-in berth is still very reasonable
With Zion Williamson healthy again and Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears playing as top-five rookies, optimism is reasonable.
Trey Murphy III continues to look like a true No. 1 option, finishing Thursday with 27 points on 69 percent shooting. Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey have been elite on the wings, while Jose Alvarado continues to provide a gritty spark from the bench. Add in James Borrego training his tail and emphasizing pace and togetherness, and this team can realistically compete for the eighth through 10th seeds in the West.
I’m not saying I’d put all my eggs in one basket or suddenly consider this team a Western Conference contender if I were Joe Dumars. What I will say, however, is that this group looked more than capable on Thursday and, given enough time, could make a breakthrough into a play-in spot.
I’m still leaning toward the Pelicans as sellers at the trade deadline because it could be more beneficial in the long run. That said, if the Pelicans keep this level up, it would be difficult for any front office to pull the plug.
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