A massive second-half collapse saw the New Orleans Pelicans surrender a 22-point lead, allowing the Charlotte Hornets to snatch victory after a dismal offensive showing.
The New Orleans Pelicans felt unstoppable in the first half, but after scoring just 31 points after halftime, they suffered a 102-95 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Entering this game, the Hornets were one of the hottest teams in the league. For the Pelicans to hold them to a 40/24/81 shooting split, keeping all of their stars inefficient, New Orleans had to feel good. That horrid offensive performance in the second half was the dagger, allowing Charlotte to come back from down 22 points.
The Pelicans now fall to 13-39 on the year. Some fans had hoped that a newfound lineup with improved defense might help them sneak into the postseason, but losses like this make that look like a pipe dream.
Zion Williamson was held under 20 points for the second game in a row. He did have 11 rebounds, but has been lacking some of that offensive aggressiveness for too much of the last few games.
On the flip side, Trey Murphy had his best offensive performance in over a week. He finished with 27 points on 10-of-20 from the field with a rebound and four assists.
Since dropping 32 points against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 23, Murphy had been averaging 13.5 points on 26% from the field over four games. Perhaps that cold streak is now behind him.
Speaking of shooting, Derik Queen has made threes in consecutive games for the first time in his career. If he can become someone that teams have to think about guarding on the perimeter, it would open up so much for the offense.
One of the reasons that Yves Missi has remained in trade talks despite his improved play as of late is that the trio of him, Queen and Williamson provides no threat from deep.
New Orleans needs a big man who can shoot the ball. Queen can clearly shoot a little bit; it's just about finding the confidence and volume to put teams on notice.
The Pelicans will return to the court on Wednesday, traveling to take on the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 pm CT. With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, this is a game that New Orleans should be able to win.