The Pelicans turned over a golden opportunity for another big win on Sunday, falling to the Rockets on the road 117-109.
The Good: Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson together
The narrative after a pair of poor performances from Brandon Ingram after Zion Williamson’s debut was that the two wouldn’t be able to operate together on the court. Sunday was an example of why that storyline was overblown as both flourished.
Ingram tallied 28 points with 12 rebounds while Williamson had 21 points and 10 rebounds. It should help bury a silly narrative as the two were a large reason why New Orleans was in the game on the day.
Honorable mentions: Rebounding, James Harden
The Bad: Turnovers
Yet again, for seemingly the millionth time this season, the Pelicans were doomed by turnovers. This time, New Orleans committed 21 turnovers which totally negated a massive rebound advantage. With Clint Capela out, the Rockets played small all day long and the Pelicans out-rebounded Houston 62-41. But none of that mattered as the Pelicans could not hang onto the ball.
Honorable mentions: Late-game free-throw shooting,
The Ball: Flirting with a triple-double
Lonzo Ball started hot from the field in the first quarter with eight points but scored just two the rest of the way. However, he finished with 10 rebounds and nine assists and nearly had a triple-double on the day.
He also finished with three steals and made a couple nice defensive plays when matched up with Harden and Russell Westbrook on the day.
