Three was again the magic number for the Pelicans on Tuesday night in Brooklyn. The Nets outshot New Orleans from deep all night, connecting on 17 of their 40 attempts from beyond the arc, including a back-breaking dagger from Tosan Evbuomwan in the final minute. That triple ended a late Pelicans rally and sealed a 119-114 loss, handing New Orleans its fourth straight road defeat.
The real damage came in the third quarter, where Brooklyn exploded for 43 points, their highest-scoring period of the season. New Orleans was outscored by 17 in the period and made only one three-pointer during that stretch. Though they outscored the Nets in the fourth, 35-22, the Pelicans couldn’t do enough to steal a win.
Jose Alvarado Shines in His Return Home
Playing in front of family and friends in his native Brooklyn, Jose Alvarado played well again. Despite being questionable earlier in the day with right calf soreness, he gave the Pelicans a much-needed spark. He drilled three triples in the first half and finished with 16 points, four assists, and two steals. Alvarado split point guard duties with Elfrid Payton, who had double-digit assists (10) for the third consecutive game.
Young Core Continues to Flash Potential
With most of the regular rotation shut down due to injury, the Pelicans’ youth movement continued to get extended run—and delivered. Rookies Antonio Reeves and Karlo Matkovic led the way with 17 points apiece, while Keion Brooks Jr. added 14 and Jamal Cain chipped in 15, including 13 in the fourth quarter. The energy was high, and the execution wasn’t always there, but the development opportunities are starting to show promise.
One Eye on the Lottery
Tuesday’s loss solidified the Pelicans’ place in the race for the number one pick. With just three games remaining, New Orleans (21-58) is guaranteed to go into the May 12 draft lottery slotted either third, fourth, or fifth. The only teams that could potentially change the standings are Philadelphia and Charlotte. However, without some major changes late, New Orleans is on track for the fourth-best odds—with a chance at Duke freshman Cooper Flagg.
A Late Push Comes Up Short
After trailing by 18 at the end of the third quarter, New Orleans put together a furious late rally behind Reeves, who scored nine of his 17 points in the final minutes. His three-point play with 1:29 left brought the Pelicans within seven, and a corner three at the 53-second mark cut the deficit to four. But on the next possession, Evbuomwan found himself alone in the corner and buried a triple to push the Nets’ lead back to seven—just enough to hold off the comeback.
The Pelicans dropped to 7-33 on the road and fell to 21-58 overall, clinching their worst season in two decades.
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