The New Orleans Pelicans have done poorly in every game that has been decided by three or fewer points.
In fact they are 0-6 in such games, which include each of their past three defeats.
Thursday night New Orleans hosts the Utah Jazz, who have five- and two-point victories against them on Nov. 25 and 27 in Salt Lake City.
“It’s our free throws. It’s our execution. It’s our turnovers,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said after a 116-115 overtime loss at home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. “It’s not one guy. It’s all of us. We have to learn from this. We’re in it together. We have to figure it out together.”
The Pelicans also have done poorly with double-digit leads. They led by as many as 15 points in the game and by 13 points at the end of the third quarter before losing to the Grizzlies. That came seven days after they lost a 24-point second-quarter lead in a 115-113 defeat, also at home, against the Grizzlies.
“For 3 1/2 quarters, our game-plan discipline was at a high level,” Green said of the most recent loss. “We were executing. As the game started to get a little close, they upped their level of physicality and we started to turn the ball over and let them right back into the game.
“This is where we have to grow,” Green added. “We have to learn to get to our spots, execute with force and pace, make solid passes. Then when we get to the free-throw line, make our free throws.”
The Jazz overcame a slow start in a 130-118 victory at San Antonio on Tuesday night. It was their third straight victory during a five-game road trip that concludes in New Orleans.
“Winning on the road is tough in this league,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “The trip has been pretty long, a little funky with Christmas in between, but I think the team is just really engaged right now.”
It’s also healthy after Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker returned from injury against the Spurs, giving Hardy a healthy rotation for the first time since Nov. 22.
“We are just getting back to our identity,” said forward Lauri Markkanen, who had 31 points and 12 rebounds against San Antonio. “We are moving with the ball and without the ball, playing unselfish basketball. … That’s really been key for us offensively.”
The Jazz have won six of eight overall. Jordan Clarkson scored 24 against the Spurs after scoring 30 three nights earlier against Toronto in his return from a six-game absence due to a thigh injury. He also had eight assists and six rebounds against San Antonio.
“He’s been known as a scorer his whole career,” Hardy said of Clarkson. “I think the last year and a half, he’s made a really diligent effort to try to be a better playmaker and he’s done a great job.”
Utah fell behind the Spurs 32-17 after the first 8:40 of action before turning things around with a 10-0 run to close the quarter. The Jazz then scored 103 points the rest of the way.
– Field Level Media