The New Orleans Pelicans had every chance to come out of San Antonio with a win Saturday night, but key plays down the stretch and too many turnovers proved costly. Missing Zion Williamson due to personal reasons, the Pelicans leaned heavily on CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy, but couldn’t quite match the Spurs’ depth in a 119-115 loss at Frost Bank Center.
While the Pels were missing Zion, San Antonio had Victor Wembanyama (blood clot), and De’Aaron Fox (finger) sidelined. That left it up to the supporting casts, and the Spurs’ bench delivered more when it mattered most.
McCollum, Murphy Shine in Zion’s Absence
CJ McCollum did everything he could to keep the Pelicans afloat. The veteran guard scored a game-high 26 points. He also dished out nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds. It was McCollum’s biggest scoring night since he dropped 43 on the Kings. Trey Murphy III added 20 points, and moved past Jonas Valanciunas into ninth place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.
Kelly Olynyk had one of his better nights since arriving in New Orleans, finishing with 14 points, seven assists, and six boards. But despite solid nights from the starters, New Orleans couldn’t string together enough stops in crunch time.
Karlo Matkovic’s Steady Progress
One of the bright spots for the Pels continues to be rookie big man Karlo Matkovic. Filling in for Yves Missi, Matkovic posted his third double-double of the season, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He’s shown he’s capable of finishing around the basket, and he delivered on Saturday, particularly in the fourth quarter. His growth as a scorer inside has been a positive during this recent stretch.
Bruce Brown also had his best game since joining New Orleans, scoring 19 points on efficient 8-of-13 shooting, while adding six rebounds and six assists. Brown played turnover-free basketball in 32 minutes, providing stability alongside McCollum.
Spurs’ Depth, Late Threes Sink Pelicans
The game shifted late in the third quarter. New Orleans briefly built a lead, coming out of halftime on a 15-7 run to go up 73-65. But San Antonio responded by closing the quarter on a 25-8 run, capped by Jeremy Sochan’s halfcourt heave to give the Spurs a nine-point edge heading into the fourth.
The Pelicans fought back in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 113-111 with just over a minute left. That’s when Keldon Johnson hustled for an offensive rebound off a missed three and kicked it out to Devin Vassell. Vassell buried a deep three to stretch the lead to five, effectively sealing it for the Spurs.
Turnovers plagued New Orleans all night. They gave it away 18 times, leading to 24 points for San Antonio. The Spurs also got huge production from their bench, outscoring the Pelicans’ reserves 55-24. San Antonio’s ability to spread the floor and knock down timely threes (they’ve hit a league-leading 142 in March) gave them the edge.
What’s Next
The Pelicans won’t have much time to dwell on this one. They’ll head home to host the Detroit Pistons on Monday night at the Smoothie King Center.
For more content, visit HITP Sports on YouTube or HITP Sports online.
READ MORE
- Zion Williamson Shines as Pelicans Continue Their Dominance Over Clippers
- Pelicans Look to Snap Losing Streak Against Clippers
- Pelicans Sign Center Mo Bamba to 10-Day Contract
- Murphy’s 27 not enough to snap Pelicans’ losing skid
- Pelicans Embarrassed in 29-point Loss to Rockets
- Pelicans hope Zion Williamson tilts scales against Rockets
- Zion’s Heroics Fall Short – Pelicans Lose to Lakers
- Pelicans Finding Their Groove, But Road Struggles Remain
- Tank battle: Pelicans face Jazz with dueling agendas
- Pelicans look to sweep Suns despite Zion’s absence
- Spoiler Alert: Zion’s triple-double leads Pelicans past Suns for third straight win
- It wasn’t pretty but Pelicans top Spurs for second straight win
- The Zion Dilemma: Undeniable Talent and Incredible Risk
- Can Pelicans duplicate second-half dominance against Spurs?
- Pelicans rally past Spurs with dominant second half
- Can Pelicans take advantage of Wembanyama-less Spurs in home return?
- CJ McCollum’s 43 leads Pelicans past Kings in OT thriller
- Pelicans fade late as Kings’ hot shooting hands New Orleans 10th straight loss
- Pelicans host Kings hoping to avoid 10-game skid
- Pelicans struggle as Thunder set franchise record for threes in blowout loss
- Pelicans face red-hot Thunder looking to snap 8-game losing streak
- Can undermanned Pelicans end road losing skid in Sacramento?
- Porter, Jokic, too much to handle as Pelicans fall to Nuggets, 144-119
- Report: Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram to Raptors
- Pelicans seek to tie season series tonight vs. Nuggets
- Deal or no deal: It’s time for Pelicans to trade Brandon Ingram
