BBNBA: Davis Drops 30, Pelicans Drop Another Game

ZGeogheganKSR

[caption id="attachment_254464" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)[/caption] Good afternoon, folks. Anthony Davis scored at least 30 points for the fifth straight game. The Pelicans still lost. Let's talk NBA. Friendly reminder to vote to send the BBNBA to the 2019 All-Star game and also that NBA League Pass is free through Jan. 20.

RECAP

[21-24] Pelicans - 140 @ [31-14] Warriors - 147

This is becoming exhausting. If I have to write about Anthony Davis scoring 30 points in a loss one more time, I'm gonna drive down to New Orleans and kidnap Davis myself before taking him to Los Angeles. Look, I get that the Pelicans lost to the Warriors. I get that Steph Curry scored 25 of his 41 freaking points in the third quarter because he's freaking Steph Curry. But I don't care. The Pelicans are finally healthy. Nikola Mirotic and Elfrid Payton are back in the rotation. They're now three games under .500 and are currently 12th in the West with the playoff picture become clearer by the day. The season is halfway over, New Orleans' front office knows they're already working with borrowed time in terms of keeping Davis along for the future. A spark needs to be ignited. It should have been ignited before the season began. Their next nine games are against teams currently in the playoffs or teams fighting tooth and nail to get in. Things could escalate for the worse if the chemistry (and defense) doesn't set in quickly.
Behind 30 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks from Davis, the Pelicans actually held a considerable lead throughout the first half. At one point, New Orleans led by 17 points only for the Warriors to mercilessly inflict utter doom in the third quarter (as they've done all season). Once Curry got rolling at home, you could feel the game slipping away from the Pellies.
Julius Randle poured in 23 points on only eight shots attempts. He shot 6-8 from the field, including 3-3 from deep, and was a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line in only 21 minutes. Darius Miller added nine points on three made threes.

Other notes

Eric Bledsoe was the key to a run that ultimately won the game for his Milwaukee Bucks squad. After Memphis took the lead for the first - and last - time all game at 59-58 and with Giannis Antetokounmpo heading to the bench, Bledsoe rattled off nine straight points and fueled a 19-0 run that would win the game for Milwaukee by a score of 111-101. The former Kentucky guard finished with 16 points.
For the Orlando Magic, Isaiah Briscoe continues to excel in extended playing time. He dropped in six points, four rebounds, and five assists on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. Over his previous five games, Briscoe is averaging 4.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 18.8 minutes per game. What stands out the most when watching Briscoe is how unfazed he appears. He hardly gets rattled when he has the ball and always seems sure of himself with every move he makes. He's never going to be the most talented guy on the floor, but confidence can turn an average hooper into an impact player.
Lastly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Utah Jazz 129-109. SGA added eight points on 4-8 shooting for the Clips.
Check out the full stat sheet below.

STATISTICS

[table id=260 /]

TONIGHT IN THE NBA

3:00 (NBATV): Knicks (Kanter-out, Knox)@ Wizards (Wall-out) - game in London 7:00: Kings (Cauley-Stein, Fox, Labissiere) @ Hornets (Kidd-Gilchrist, Monk) 7:00 (TNT): 76ers @ Pacers 7:30: Suns (Booker) @ Raptors 9:00: Bulls @ Nuggets (Lyles, Murray, Vanderbilt-out) 9:30 (TNT): Lakers (Rondo-out) @ Thunder (Diallo, Noel-out, Patterson)

Follow me on Twitter: @ZackGeoghegan