Pelicans (2-9), Celtics (5-5)
New Orleans won the type of game it hadn’t been able to pull out over the first 10 games of the season, finally prevailing in a tight contest Monday vs. Boston. The Pelicans had dropped a handful of previous games in which they could’ve easily won – including two overtime defeats – but this time point guard Tim Frazier sank one of two free throws with 2 seconds remaining in regulation for the deciding point. New Orleans led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but Boston rallied to create a tension-filled final few minutes.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
With no timeouts remaining and only one-tenth of a second on the clock, Boston tossed in an inbound pass from the halfcourt stripe that hit the rim (if it had gone in, it wouldn’t have counted). The pass deflected off the basket and went to Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who was surrounded by Pelicans defenders and wasn’t legally able to do anything other than tip the ball anyway at 0:00.1. Smart grabbed the rebound and directed it to the basket, to no avail.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Langston Galloway had struggled early in the season to locate his shooting touch and contribute consistently, but Monday he got on a roll, posting 21 points as part of an invaluable night from the bench. The Baton Rouge native shot 8/14 from the field, highlighted by sinking three of his five attempts from beyond the arc. Twelve of Galloway’s points came during the second quarter, when NOLA held a 29-25 edge.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Terrence Jones provided one of his best games as a Pelican, delivering a double-double that consisted of 15 points and 10 rebounds, to go with two blocks. Jones also sparked New Orleans’ transition game, often leading fast-break opportunities while his above-average ballhandling ability for a big. The Pelicans got a few more easy hoops than usual, scoring 20 fast-break points.
