A 44-point third period power New Orleans to a strong second half and a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls at home on Wednesday, 123-108.
The Good: Third quarter
As previously mentioned, the third quarter was the difference on Wednesday. After a slow first half offensively, the Pelicans came out of the locker room and exploded for 44 points. Brandon Ingram scored 16 points in the period, Jaxson Hayes picked up his first career double-double by doing most of his damage in the period and New Orleans turned a 48-48 halftime score into a 92-75 lead.
It was a rare dominant quarter from the Pelicans against a poor team which led to a rare blowout on the night.
Honorable Mentions: Free throw shooting, Brandon Ingram, Derrick Favors
The Bad: First half offense
The third quarter saved the Pelicans from a potentially ugly loss or at least an unnecessarily close game against a bad team after a dismal first half. The Pelicans scored nearly as many points in the third period as they did in the first half. Fortunately, the Bulls’ offense is so putrid that they could not take advantage of the opportunity and allowed New Orleans to remain close.
Honorable Mentions: Ingram not getting two more rebounds for his first career triple-double
The Ball: An off night
Lonzo Ball was due for an off night after such strong play recently. Even in his “off” night, though, Ball finished with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds. He did miss all five of his three-point attempts while going 4-of-11 from the field. He willingly played the distributor role as seven players finished in double figures.
