With their first successful outing on the Brooklyn floor, the Pelicans may have thought that this trip to Charlotte would be a walk in the park. The start of the match marked by the domination of a Jonas Valanciunas in all the good moves, quickly reinforced New Orleans in its certainties (7-19).
Except that opposite, Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward did not hear it that way. With the help of Dennis Smith Jr or Jalen McDaniels, the duo set out to keep their team alive, responding each time to the assaults of the McCollum-Ingram-Williamson trio.
Relegated to -10 at the break (51-61), the Hornets were thus able to count on a hot shot from Gordon Hayward to continue to believe in it, the winger slamming 8 points in a row before chaining two assists for the 3-pointers from Jalen McDaniels and Dennis Smith Jr to keep the pressure on (81-87).
Better, Charlotte even returned to -2 at the start of the fourth quarter, thanks to the good defensive sequences of Dennis Smith Jr and Gordon Hayward, allowing Terry Rozier to afford a dunk in transition (94-96). But it took more to destabilize the Pelicans.
Brandon Ingram responded by slamming his only 3-pointer of the night on his only attempt before delivering a super assist for Herb Jones’ 2+1. Jonas Valanciunas did the rest with a new 2+1 then a defensive rebound followed by a serve for CJ McCollum (97-107).
The response was scathing and New Orleans was then able to secure victory with the Ingram-Valanciunas duo in charge.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Pelicans already at cruising speed. Willie Green’s troops could have made it easier for themselves by securing victory earlier. Nevertheless, the serenity that emerges from his group left little doubt as to the outcome of the meeting. These Pelicans are fun to watch, with prime role-players to surround a well-balanced trio. It was Trey Murphy III in Brooklyn. Tonight, it’s (again) Jonas Valanciunas, without forgetting Jose Alvarado, who quickly replaced CJ McCollum hit by fouls, or Herb Jones, also valuable.
– Reason for hope? The result is not up to par, but we saw some interesting things on the side of Charlotte. If Théo Maledon has still not seen the floor, we can mention the good integration of Dennis Smith Jr who scored points last night, in particular with his aggressive defense. Jalen McDaniels was perfect in his sniper role with his 4/4 behind the arc, and Gordon Hayward is gradually regaining confidence. We are still a long way off, but Steve Clifford may have a good base there to work on while waiting for the return of his playing master, LaMelo Ball and his watchdog, Cody Martin.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jonas Valanciunas. We talk a lot about the Big Three in Louisiana, embodied by CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. But at the rate at which Jonas Valanciunas is performing, we will quickly have to move on to the “Big Four”! The Lithuanian was imperial on the night, putting his side on the right track and helping to kill the game in the final act. Great Jonas!
✅ Brandon Ingram. A different hairstyle from the first game in Brooklyn, but a similar performance. More seriously, Brandon Ingram impresses with his accuracy, beyond his offensive range, which is still as beautiful to watch. For example, he only took a 3-pointer, at the most important moment of the match, and did not shake. What followed was just a succession of good choices. We are off to a great vintage this season with BI.
✅ Gordon Hayward. Each of his outings are still watched and Hornets fans continue to cross their fingers for each shock suffered by the “go-to-guy” of Charlotte. He clearly reassured on this game with his 26 points and 7 rebounds.
⛔️ The weakness of position 5 of the Hornets. The same observation was made last year until the arrival of Montrezl Harrell. This is still the case this year, with a Plumlee-Richards pair well below the standards required by the NBA. It is all the more glaring when Charlotte faces a client of the caliber of Jonas Valanciunas, who devoured his opponents on the rebound. And to think that Cody Zeller is free!
THE FOLLOWING
– Hornets : Charlotte is expected this Sunday in Atlanta (11 p.m.).
– Pelicans : New Orleans receives Utah this Sunday (01:00).
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