POST GAME NOTES New Orleans Pelicans (21-20) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (22-20) Pelicans 119 Trail Blazers 113 Friday, January 12, 2018 Key to the Game: Leading 105-103 with 4:18 remaining, New Orleans went on an 8-2 run to take a 113-105 lead with 1:14 left to go. Jrue Holiday (four) and Darius Miller (two) combined for six free throws in the final minute to seal the game for New Orleans. · After New Orleans scored the first five points of the game, Portland went on a 19-6 run from 10:14-5:21. The Pels closed the quarter on a 20-6 run of their own and held a 31-25 lead after one. · Jrue Holiday was 6-6 in the quarter, leading all scorers with 12 points. Jusuf Nurkic led the Blazers with 11 points on 5-5 from the field. · New Orleans shot .538 (14-26) in the first frame to Portland’s .440 (11-25) from the field. New Orleans converted on one out of three attempts from long range, while Portland was 2-10 from deep. · The Pelicans went on a 14-4 run to start the second quarter, but Portland closed the quarter on a 32-16 run to tie the score at 61 heading into the halftime break. · Damian Lillard scored 13 of his 23 points in the second quarter on 5-7 from the field. · New Orleans outscored Portland 27-25 in the third quarter, taking an 88-86 lead into the final period. New Orleans shot .500 (8-16) to Portland’s .333 (8-24) in the third frame. New Orleans was 2-4 (.500), while Portland was 5-13 (.385) from deep. · DeMarcus Cousins finished just two assists shy of a triple-double, tallying 24 points, 19 rebounds, and eight assists, marking his 31st double-double of the season and his 11th game with 20+ points and 15+ rebounds. · Jrue Holiday recorded his 15th 20+ point performance of the season, notching 25 points on 8-11 from the field and 1-2 from deep. · Anthony Davis returned to the starting lineup after missing Wednesday night’s game in Memphis with a right ankle injury. In 40:52 of action tonight, Davis tallied 36 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Davis scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter on 7-8 from the field. · Portland converted 45 of 101 field goals, a Pelicans opponent season high for shot attempts. · Portland, averaging .373 from distance on the season, converted on just 12 of 42 attempts (.286). · New Orleans scored 62 of its 119 points in the paint.
Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry: On tonight’s win: “I just thought we did a good job, really, all around. You have to be able to guard their perimeter players and then they played three of them tonight. I thought we did a good job on it. That being said, obviously those guys end up with twenty-three each, but they shoot eighteen for forty-three so anytime you can do that, I think you’ve done a good job with them, defensively. We weren’t rebounding the ball there for a stretch and then we gave up too many second chance opportunities, but I think, overall, our defense was pretty solid. Then we did a really, really good job of just moving the basketball. I thought this was one of DeMarcus’ (Cousins) better games that he’s played for us, just all around. I thought defensively and the way he did it. Obviously, AD (Anthony Davis) stepped up huge. Typical AD game, really.” On what allowed the Portland Trailblazer’s run at the end of the first half: “I thought we were a little loose with the ball when they started to make that run when we were up sixteen. Just a little careless and we had a couple of tough possessions and they were able to come back. In this league, sixteen is not a whole lot and so a couple of turnovers here, a couple of bad possessions and before you know it, it’s a five point game.” Pelicans Forward DeMarcus Cousins: On the importance of getting a win while fighting for a playoff spot: “Very important. We were tied with that team at the moment and it was good to get the lead in that tie-breaker to better position ourselves for this playoff run. It was a big game tonight.” On if the energy level was where they needed it to be: “Yeah, but I still think we made a lot of mistakes. I still don’t think we’re back to that level as a defensive team that we were early in the year, but a win’s a win and it’s tough to win in this league. With that being said, I think there are a lot of things we need to improve on.” Pelicans Guard Jrue Holiday: On if he thought he was getting to the rim easily: “They do have some longer guards and I think toward the end, they tried to switch onto us. At the beginning, with Damian (Lillard), CJ (McCollum) and (Shabazz) Napier, just getting to the basket was my thought process.” On the importance of harnessing the energy from this win: “Right before a road trip, to be able to have this confidence and win at home and go to another arena and feel like it’s us against the world. New York, Boston – that’s a big game – and then Atlanta. They’re all three big games. If we can wins on the road, that would be awesome.” Pelicans Guard Ian Clark: On the win tonight: “It’s about taking care of home. We know it’s one of those teams that’s ahead of us. We already split the season series with them 1-1, so it’s important tonight to come out and get a win.” On getting more minutes: “It’s good for anybody who wants to get back in a rhythm. That’s all you can ask for – opportunity. And with opportunity comes rhythm and you start making shots and things start going your way and that’s all you can ask for.”
Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts On tonight’s game: “Well… disappointing to lose, but to come from 16 back… I was pleased with the way we came back from the first half to make it a game. The third quarter [we] played very well. [We] moved the ball, made good shots. Fourth quarter, we had our chances. We had some good looks that we weren’t able to convert on, and had a couple turnovers that cost us, but defensively we gave up too many. (Anthony) Davis had an outstanding game and we didn’t control very well off the dribble in either half which led to a lot of shots at the rim for them.” On the team’s poor three-point field goal percentage tonight: “I thought most of them were decent looks. I’m sure some of them may have been contested or forced, but I was pleased with the looks. You know when you score 113 points you can’t really look at the offense, but it was an offensive game, and we came up a little short.” On how the team did defensively against DeMarcus Cousins: “Well we did better against (DeMarcus) Cousins than the first two games, that’s obvious, but (Anthony) Davis was outstanding. He made mid-range shots, he got to the rim. We screwed up some coverages where he got some lobs. I mean you can’t say you did a good job when you gave up 60 points between the two of them.” Trail Blazers Guard Damian Lillard On tonight’s game: “It was a definitely a game of spurts. They had a good run in the first quarter and we closed that gap in the second quarter tying it up going into the half. In the third, we started out well and then they came back with a run. From then it was back and forth game. We had opportunities to make the right plays and got the ball to each other in good spots. Some nights it is make or miss. They made them and we missed them.” On being 12 for 42 tonight at 3 pointers: “I know I didn’t shoot well from three even though I got good looks. A lot of them felt good and as a group we got a lot of good looks they just didn’t go in. On nights like that you can’t be upset with other things when you had the opportunities you had. The good looks, played hard and we played together. We played a game that gave us a chance on the road and the shots didn’t fall when they needed to fall.” Trail Blazers Center Jusuf Nurkic On defending Cousins tonight: “Cousins had 21 shot attempts, he is an All-Star, great player, and looks like first team flopping. Never started an all-star game or playoff game and talking trash for no reason. I think he is a great player and the way they play right now they win the game. We had our chance and we didn’t win. We need to keep playing and be better than them.” On Anthony Davis’s performance: “Great player and he didn’t play a couple games to come back and put up 36 points up. Great player and great person. It is always good to play against great players especially the big guys in the league. It’s nice to see they still be at the three-point line much more then down in the paint. We have a game with the pick and roll which works well for us. That is our problem when something works we need to stick with it. Sometimes we need a game like this to get going we had a lot of runs last year and we do it again. No doubt in my mind.”
