NBA: Doncic dazzles in vain as Mavs downed by Pelicans

LOS ANGELES -- Luka Doncic scored 37 points but it was not enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks from slipping to defeat against the depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

Slovenian star Doncic dragged the Mavs to within one point of the Pels with four seconds remaining after a driving lay-up made it 112-111.

The 23-year-old was left shaking his head in disappointment after a three-point effort on the buzzer that would have snatched victory bounced off the rim to hand New Orleans a 113-111 win.

Doncic finished with 11 rebounds and seven assists in addition to his 37-point haul, with Spencer Dinwiddie providing support with 24 points and Christian Wood 23 points.

But Dallas were ultimately pipped by a balanced New Orleans line-up that saw eight players finish in double figures.

The victory was made all the more impressive given injuries that deprived New Orleans of regular starters Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Trey Murphy III scored 22 points -- making 8-of-8 from the field -- while C.J. McCollum made 14 points with 11 assists.

McCollum later admitted he could barely watch as Doncic launched his last-gasp three-point attempt on the buzzer.

"When he shot it I just thought 'Please don't go in, please don't go in'," McCollum told an on-court interviewer.

"I didn't shoot the ball well but a lot of young guys stepped up tonight and that's what we're going to need all season long.

"We're a solid team. Guys work hard, get in early and stay late and they relish these kind of opportunities to come out and put on a show."

The Pelicans improved to 3-1 with a win to move into second in the Western Conference behind leaders Portland. Dallas fell to 1-2 with the loss.

In other games on Tuesday, the Washington Wizards took their season record to 3-1 with a 120-99 romp against the Detroit Pistons at home.

Kyle Kuzma led the Washington scorers with 25 points with Kristaps Porzingis adding 20. Will Barton added 16 from the bench, including four three-pointers.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Pelicans continue to roll, take down host Magic

Brandon Ingram scored a game-high 31 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans continued their longest win streak of the season with a 110-104 victory over the host Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

Josh Hart (22 points) made four 3-pointers and Devonte' Graham (20 points) sank five triples, helping New Orleans win its fourth game in a row. The Pelicans were without starting center Jonas Valanciunas (non-COVID illness) as well as key reserve Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was placed in the league's health and safety protocols on Thursday.

Ingram opened the third quarter by making five consecutive jumpers, as the Pelicans extended a 55-43 halftime advantage to 65-45. Orlando countered with a 33-18 run to get within 83-78 entering the final period.

The Magic trailed 99-97 with 1:54 to go, but they were unable to complete the comeback as New Orleans finished 23-of-26 at the free-throw line.

Willy Hernangomez moved into the Pelicans' starting lineup and had a season-high 16 rebounds, seven on the offensive end.

The Magic, who returned home following an eventful road trip that included a postponement in Toronto and wins over Brooklyn and Atlanta, were in search of their first three-game winning streak since February of the 2020-21 season.

Franz Wagner scored 17 of his 20 points in the third quarter.

Orlando's Gary Harris added a season-high 22 points, and Cole Anthony (ankle) had 22 points and 11 assists after missing the previous three games. Wendell Carter Jr. (lower leg) also returned from injury and posted 17 points, 12 rebounds and three of the Magic's 11 blocks.

The Magic once again persevered with several players out of action against New Orleans. That included six who remain in virus protocols: Mo Bamba, R.J. Hampton, Terrence Ross, Moe Wagner, Mychal Mulder and Ignas Brazdeikis.

Six of Orlando's seven bench players were free agents who signed 10-day contracts (via NBA hardship exceptions) since Dec. 17. Admiral Schofield led that group on Thursday with eight points in 25 minutes.

New Orleans improved to 6-12 on the road, while Orlando's home struggles continued with its 11th loss in 13 games at the Amway Center.

-reuters

NBA: Pelicans drop Trail Blazers for third straight win

Brandon Ingram hit for 28 points and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 22 of his 27 in the second half as the host New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 111-97 on Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Josh Hart added 20 points, Willy Hernangomez had 13 off the bench, Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 16 rebounds and Devonte' Graham scored 10 for the Pelicans.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 39 points. Jusuf Nurkic added 17, Norman Powell had 16 and Larry Nance Jr. scored 10.

Powell made a 3-pointer to start the third quarter to give the Blazers a 52-51 lead. But Hart scored seven points during a 14-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 65-52 lead with 8:31 left in the quarter.

New Orleans led by 13 on two more occasions before Powell scored nine, Lillard seven and Nance six as Portland climbed within one. Alexander-Walker made a basket to extend the Pelicans' lead to 81-78 at the end of the third quarter.

Robert Covington's basket started the fourth-quarter scoring and got the Blazers within one point before Alexander-Walker scored 11 straight New Orleans points to give the Pelicans a 92-83 lead with 8:46 left.

Lillard had five points as Portland scored eight straight, but Ingram's basket started a 7-0 New Orleans run that produced a 99-91 lead with 4:31 left, and the Blazers didn't threaten after that.

The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands three times before the Pelicans took a 24-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.

New Orleans pushed the lead to six early in the second quarter before Lillard's 3-pointer completed a 7-0 run that gave Portland a 31-30 lead.

Ingram's jumper gave the Pelicans the lead briefly before Lillard's 3-pointer and Nance's layup gave the Blazers a 36-32 lead.

The Blazers increased the lead to six points twice, but Ingram scored 10 points in the last 2:38 of the quarter as New Orleans took a 51-49 halftime lead.

-reuters

Raptors, Bucks, 76ers boost stock in East; Davis still in wait list

MANILA, Philippines — Toronto, Milwaukee and Philadelphia made their moves. Anthony Davis will have to wait until the summer for his.

The New Orleans Pelicans held onto Davis but dealt Nikola Mirotic to the Bucks, one of the Eastern Conference contenders who fortified their teams Thursday before the NBA trade deadline.

The Raptors are getting former All-Star center Marc Gasol from Memphis. The 76ers, a day after acquiring forward Tobias Harris from the Clippers, sent Markelle Fultz to Orlando and will hope Jonathan Simmons can provide some production where the former No. 1 pick couldn’t.


“Those teams were already really good. And the assumption would only be that they’d only benefit from those moves,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said. “It will be quite a challenge. As we knew it would be.”

A busy swap season that included Dallas’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis from New York ended without a move for Davis, the player who dominated the discussion in recent weeks. The Pelicans didn’t find a deal for Davis, who had requested a trade and informed the team he wouldn’t sign a contract extension this summer.

But the Lakers couldn’t put together a strong enough package to the Pelicans’ liking for the All-Star forward, who will go back into the trade market after the season ends. There will be other marquee names available then with a free agent class that could be highlighted by players such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard.

Boston didn’t jump into the trading deadline fray but may try to get involved in the summer.

For now, the Celtics appear to feel they have enough to win the East.

The other conference contenders looked for upgrades – and went out and got some that likely will fit well.       

source: philstar.com

Warriors use big second quarter to pull away, rout Pelicans

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant and Draymond Green ignited a brilliant second quarter with their defense and all-out hustle plays, then Golden State got rolling in transition and Oracle Arena started rocking the way it does this time of year.

The defending champions are dominating again, and now Stephen Curry is ready to rejoin the mix and make them that much better.

Durant had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Green dazzled all over the floor with his fourth career postseason triple-double, and the Golden State Warriors thoroughly overmatched the New Orleans Pelicans for a 123-101 win in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).

Green finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and two blocks and just with his hustle and energy helped the defending champions pull away with a superb, decisive second quarter.


“If we can push the tempo and try to get stuff in transition that’s big for us, so that was key and obviously that starts with stops,” Green said.

Now, they likely get Curry back for Game 2 on Tuesday night and all that he brings — even if in a limited role initially.

Anthony Davis had 21points and 10 rebounds, scoring 10 in the first quarter before having a tougher time generating shots the rest of the way to finish 9 for 20. Jrue Holiday was held to 4-for-14 shooting and 11 points.

Golden State again played without two-time MVP Curry, who has been sidelined since March 23 with a sprained left knee. Coach Steve Kerr called it “very likely” Curry would play Game 2 in the best-of-seven series.

“We’ve adjusted to life without him. Hopefully he comes back Tuesday but we still have to have the same mindset if he isn’t,” Klay Thompson said. “Even if he does come back, it’s natural human emotion to be kind of relaxed because we have so much production coming back in our lineup but that’s going to be a test for us just to put that away in our minds and just focus on the task at hand and not depend on Steph to save the day. He’s done it plenty of times but we have a very deep team, playmakers all around.”
Thompson, who led Golden State with 27 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first half that made it 76-48. But New Orleans ended the second on a 7-0 run and Darius Miller’s 73-foot heave at the halftime buzzer counted, getting the Pelicans within 76-55 at the break. They hit another buzzer-beater to end the third but by then it was way too late.

Rajon Rondo had nine points and dished out 11 assists for New Orleans.

“Well, that didn’t go as planned ,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.

Once Golden State got going in transition, the crowd became deafening and the Pelicans couldn’t keep pace — with tempo being something the Warriors know is key this series.

“It was probably the loudest I’ve heard Oracle all year,” Kerr said.

Davis, who averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in a first-round sweep of Portland, made 5 of 7 shots in the opening period. The weeklong layoff hurt, Gentry said.

Green has been brilliant on the boards as Golden State keeps taking its defense up a level, and the Warriors improved to 26-0 when he has a triple-double, 4-0 in the postseason. He had games of 19 and 18 rebounds in the final two matchups of a five-game series with San Antonio in the first round.

“The bottom line is he almost had a triple-double by halftime. That’s not a good situation for us,” Gentry said.

Nick Young started at forward for the Warriors while 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala remained in the starting lineup in place of Curry as Golden State won a franchise-record 13th straight postseason home game.

The Warriors swept the Pelicans in the only other playoff meeting between the franchises in the 2015 first round as Golden State went on to capture its first championship in 40 years.

HIGH-FLYING W’S

Golden State had its highest scoring postseason first half as well as second quarter. The 76 points topped 73 against Phoenix on May 4, 1994, while 41 in the second bested 40 scored against Utah on May 11, 2007.

Golden State shot 13 for 20 in the second, making four 3s and 11 of 14 free throws.

CURRY OUT

As usual, Curry insisted he “feels great and he’s ready to go,” said Kerr, who is encouraged his superstar point guard feels so good.

“Just made the decision based on giving him the extra few days and the fact he only scrimmaged yesterday,” Kerr said. “You’ve been out five weeks and we’re playing in the playoffs, I don’t think one scrimmage is enough, even though he feels great, he wants to play and pleaded his case. ”

Curry returned to full practice with contact Thursday and only scrimmaged 5 on 5 for the first time Friday, and Kerr prefers that Curry get additional on-court time at full speed Sunday.

source: philstar.com

Pelicans hold off huge Lakers rally for first win

LOS ANGELES — The New Orleans Pelicans were watching another double-digit lead evaporate, with the Los Angeles Lakers using a furious 27-4 run to take a five-point lead.

This time, the Pelicans were ready for the challenge.

They answered with an 11-0 run of their own to beat the Lakers 119-112 on Sunday night (Monday Manila time) for their first victory of the season.

"We have to stop letting off the gas when we have big leads," New Orleans center DeMarcus Cousins said. "This is something we've done the previous two games and we're trying to stop it on the fly."

The Pelicans (1-2) were able to ward off the challenge from the Lakers (1-2) behind 27 points and 17 rebounds from Anthony Davis, and 22 points and 11 rebounds from Cousins.

"We started off the game playing well," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who earned his 400th career victory. "Then in the third quarter, our transition defense just wasn't good."

The Lakers' late rally was led by reserves. Jordan Clarkson topped Los Angeles with 24 points, while Kyle Kuzma added 20 points to match guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Lakers prized rookie Lonzo Ball struggled with his shot (3 of 13) and finished with just eight points, but did contribute 13 assists and eight rebounds.

"I like Lonzo's aggressiveness, he just didn't make shots," Lakers coach Luke Walton said.

The Lakers missed their first eight shots of the game, falling behind by double digits early. New Orleans went up by as many as 22 in the second quarter and was still ahead 94-74 when the Lakers went on their run.

Clarkson and Kuzma scored the last nine points of the third, and then with reserves Julius Randle and Josh Hart aiding the comeback, outscored the Pelicans 18-4 to open the final period.

"We let them back in the game, and that's on us, but we kept fighting," Davis said.

New Orleans trailed 110-106 with 4:46 to play when it answered with its 11-0 run. E'Twaun Moore (19 points) and Cousins sparked the comeback, with Jameer Nelson — just signed Sunday — hitting a key 3-pointer.

"I think he already earned his contract," Gentry said. "He made the biggest shot of the night."

source: philstar.com

Thunder down Pelicans, Bucks beat Wizards as NBA heads into All-Star break

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into the NBA’s All-Star break with a 121-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, aided by 23 points apiece from Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

On what was an emotional night, Westbrook was one rebound shy of his ninth triple double of the season as he collected 10 assists and nine rebounds.

Durant connected on 10 of 17 from the field and also handed out six assists as Oklahoma City improved to 40-14.

The Thunder are one of three Western Conference teams heading into the All-Star break with at least 40 wins, behind the Golden State Warriors (48-4) and San Antonio Spurs (45-8).

According to Elias Sports, the statistics expert, that’s a first for any conference in NBA history.

“I think we are great, man,” Westbrook said of the Thunder’s position. “Forty wins, I like where we are. Looking to come back in the second half of the season and turn it up a notch.”

Center Anthony Davis scored 23 points to lead the Pelicans, but was limited to three rebounds and no blocked shots.

Guard Jrue Holiday came off the bench to score 23 points and six assists as the Pelicans, ravaged by injury this season, fell to 20-33.

The contest had a somber note, despite the approach of the weekend of festivities built around Sunday’s All-Star game in Toronto.

Ingrid Williams, wife of Oklahoma City assistant coach and former New Orleans head coach Monty Williams, died in a road accident on Tuesday and the news hit both teams hard.

“I thought about what I was going to say, but I just love coach Monty so much,” Durant said. “I feel for him. And it’s somebody we all love, I just don’t understand.”

Davis was one of the Pelicans players who remembered Ingrid Williams as being like a second mother when her husband coached them.

“It was tough, but you have to still go out there and compete,” Davis said. “That’s what we tried to do tonight.”

Bucks down Wizards

In Milwaukee, Khris Middleton scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Bucks defeated the Washington Wizards 99-92.

Forwards Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 17 points each for the Bucks, and center Greg Monroe chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds.

Five Washington players scored in double figures, led by the 19 points of guard Bradley Beal.

John Wall added 15 for Washington while Otto Porter, Marcin Gortat and Nene scored 14 points apiece.

Mudiay, Booker get skills nod

Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker were named as substitutes for two of the All-Star Game warm-up events.

Mudiay will replace injured defending champion Patrick Beverley in the Skills Challenge that tests dribbling, passing, shooting and agility on an obstacle course.

Beverley will miss the Saturday competition with an ankle injury.

Booker replaces injured Nerlens Noel of the Philadelphia 76ers in Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge, which features first- and second-year players from the United States against overseas players in their rookie and sophomore seasons.

source: interaksyon.com