Brooklyn probably did not imagine taking such a knockout at home for its first of the season against the Pelicans. Steve Nash’s men have indeed come across an already impressive New Orleans team with its McCollum-Williamson-Ingram trio to which we can add the contribution of Jonas Valanciunas and a slew of choice “role players” like Herb Jones , Trey Murphy III or Jose Alvarado.
Launched by Jonas Valanciunas, the Pelicans quickly took their ease with the score by passing a 32-14 from the first 12 minutes, concluded by a 3-pointer from CJ McCollum and a strong lay-up from Zion Williamson.
We thought the Nets woke up before the break, between a 10-3 and then a noticeable hot shot from Kevin Durant to end the first half. KD indeed lined up a 3-pointer, a 2+1 and a big counter on a dunk attempt by Brandon Ingram. At the last second, Royce O’Neale thus reduced the gap to -8, unexpected in view of the level displayed by New Orleans (50-58). And then nothing…
Willie Green’s troops were indeed quick to take off again, relying on Zion Williamson to successfully pound the Brooklyn racket. Trey Murphy III confirmed the trend of a 3-pointer passing the mark to +20 (59-79). Above the lot, Brandon Ingram added his grain of salt with a sublime 2 + 1, a mid-range shot, a 3-point and two throws which clearly undermined the suspense (64-89).
Deprived of snipers like Seth Curry and Joe Harris, the locals were never able to reverse the trend. On the contrary, the dunks of Larry Nance Jr and Zion Williamson and the 3-pointers of the McCollum-Murphy III pair marked the end of the game to offer the Pelicans a success without trembling, 130 to 108.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Pelicans a tone above. Leading by a big lead early on in a game, especially away from home, is anything but a gift. However, the Pelicans were able to hold on over time and almost never panicked, except for Kevin Durant’s little heat stroke before the break. For the rest, New Orleans has evolved a tone above its opponent, crushing the Nets for good on the return from the locker room, almost without forcing! Impressive.
– “ Welcome back » Zion! What a return to business for the Pelicans nugget! Visibly sharp after his white year, Zion Williamson delivered a very good first outing (25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals), leaving an impression of ease in his drives and his resistance to impacts. Everything seems to be in place for the n°1 of the Draft 2019 to finally explode at the highest level.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Kevin Durant. The only one to have floated, carrying his team on his shoulders with his 21 points in the first half. Very good Kevin Durant who now needs to be properly supported.
✅ The McCollum-Williamson-Ingram Trio. This is the first time that we have seen the three players associated in an “official” match. The least we can say is that they did not disappoint! The Pelicans hold their three-headed monster with three profiles that seem to complement each other perfectly. On this match in any case, their complementarity was almost perfect, with a point guard who plays fair, a lookalike of KD, and a precious puncher to martyrize the rackets. Enough to approach the sequel with enthusiasm, and almost make Kevin Durant jealous…
✅ Trey Murphy III. The evening X factor on the side of New Orleans. Even if the Pelicans were initially able to rely on their McCollum-Ingram-Williamson-Valanciunas quartet, Trey Murphy III was important by embodying a reliable threat from afar (4/6 at 3-points) and by being generally effective during his 24 minutes of play with his 16 points and 9 rebounds.
⛔️ Kyrie Irving. If Kevin Durant shone, his sidekick in the lead was unrecognizable. His outside address eluded him throughout the encounter, which did not help him entering his game. On arrival, his line of stats is hardly brilliant (15 points at 6/19 in shooting including 0/6 at 3-points, 5 assists).
⛔️ Ben Simmons. It will probably take a little more patience to see the real Ben Simmons again, especially when you know the impact that such a performance can have on his mind. Sent off for six fouls with a +/- of -26 which sums up his impact well…
THE FOLLOWING
– net : reception of Toronto this Friday (01h30)
– Pelicans : the road-trip from New Orleans continues in Charlotte this Friday (01:00)
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