Alvin Gentry tried changing lineups. Brandon Ingram tried changing out his headband, going without the familiar accessory. Unfortunately for New Orleans, no matter what it attempted Saturday, the result was the same: Dominance by the Clippers. In the second seeding game for both teams, LA was red-hot from the opening tip from three-point range and remained that way for much of the Western Conference matchup. En route to a one-sided triumph, the Clippers went up 32 points at intermission, the largest halftime deficit for the Pelicans in team history.
New Orleans dropped to 0-2 in seeding games, giving it virtually zero wiggle room over the six remaining contests at Disney. The Pelicans face the equivalent of a must-win Monday vs. Memphis, which is four games ahead of New Orleans, entering the Grizzlies’ Sunday matchup against San Antonio.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Clippers center Ivica Zubac grabbed an offensive board and was fouled, dropping in two free throws to give LA a 30-point lead midway through the third quarter. The Clippers eventually built a lead of 42 points before the end of that period.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Derrick Favors was a rare bright spot for New Orleans in the first half, tipping in a couple rebounds and sinking a mid-range jumper as part of his 10 points. The 10-year NBA veteran center finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, including grabbing three offensive boards. Favors was 5/7 from the field, the only Pelicans starter who made at least half of his shots. The rest of the group combined to go just 12/31.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Frank Jackson both provided offense in the fourth quarter, helping the Pelicans slice a 42-point deficit roughly in half.
BY THE NUMBERS
14: Minutes for Zion Williamson, who logged 15 on Thursday vs. Utah.
25/47: Clippers three-point shooting, a category that broke open the game in the early minutes. LA started 13/20 beyond the arc.
18: Pelicans turnovers, including 13 by the starting five, even though none of the first-stringers logged more than 24 minutes of action.
