Pelicans (15-27), Pistons (23-20)
The ball moved rapidly. Players made quick decisions and drives to the basket. Jumpers consistently found the bottom of the net. En route to the third-best scoring half in franchise history, New Orleans piled up 72 points, shot lights-out from nearly everywhere on the court and built its biggest halftime advantage of the season, with a 19-point margin. After keeping Detroit at arm’s length in the second half, the Pelicans earned their second straight victory and fourth win in the last five games. A superb offensive performance featured five different New Orleans players reaching double digits in scoring, while an aggressive defense limited Detroit to just 41.8 percent shooting and led to a deadlock in the rebounding department against a formidable foe in that department 44-44.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis combined to score 14 of New Orleans’ first 16 points in the fourth quarter, giving the hosts a 106-88 lead with five-plus minutes remaining. The Pelicans led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter; although the Pistons made a few runs, they never really seriously threatened. New Orleans led wire-to-wire.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Davis compiled his second straight big night to open the team’s seven-game homestand, topping the 30-point scoring plateau again, as New Orleans won by double digits vs. Detroit, just as it had against Minnesota two days earlier. The two-time All-Star, who somehow finished ninth in Western Conference frontcourt voting this winter, finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. He was 13/23 shooting from the field.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Alonzo Gee personified a night in which New Orleans played extremely hard by diving for loose balls and doing damage around the rim (nine rebounds). On one of his two offensive boards, Gee threw down one of the best dunks of the NBA season, bringing the 15,000-plus fans at the Smoothie King Center to their feet. The reserve forward also had an electric dunk in the first half, part of his seven-point outing.
