Yech.  I have other words to use about that game!  Blech comes to mind.  Yuck.  Feh.  Sigh.  Whatever.  Blah.

It was a weird game.  The Pels didn’t rebound the way they needed to – a key to the game I put up earlier – had a few bad stretches that the Magic turned into runs, and then had a Hero Ball brain fart stretch that sealed the deal against them.  On to the observations:

• I’ve never seen so sloppy a game from Anthony Davis.  He looked like he had his fingers greased before the game – and the ball kept slipping as he went to the basket or tried to dribble.  In fact, if Davis did anything outside of one assist that involved him doing something other than catching and shooting, bad things happened.  I spent most of the game puzzled about that.  He plays anything like normal, and this game is not a loss.
• The Hero Ball brain fart moment came into effect with 7 minutes in the fourth quarter.  Orlando had just turned a trio of bad Pelican possessions into fast break points and the Pelicans went dumb and made it worse.  All game long, New Orleans had stayed in the game because of their assault on the basket and the free throws it got them.  So – with the Magic going on a run, the Pelicans abandon attacking the basket and instead jack four straight three pointers, missing all of them.  Three of them were bad shots too.  After the first three bad ones, Monty got their attention called a play for a post up by Davis – which resulted in Davis making no attempt to attack, passing the ball out, and the fourth jacked three pointer.  Now Davis hadn’t been doing well most of the game, but he needed to at least put pressure on the Magic.  He didn’t even face up.
• Evans almost had a triple double with 14-8-10, but I really wish he had a few of those threes back.  The Magic were playing him well – giving him feet on the perimeter and trying to make him go left.
• Monty had a slick third quarter misdirection set that got Tyreke a wide open layup.  Davis and Anderson moved into position at the Horns, (either corner of the free throw line) which is one of most teams standard sets.  Anderson, however, faked his post up, slipped past his guy, set a downscreen on Tyreke’s man as Tyreke flashed up to the free throw line and received the ball instead of one of the bigs.  It froze both defenders just long enough for Tyreke to slip by the big man and get clean to the hoop.
• Anderson came into the game – and immediately had a pick and roll for a score ran right at him.
• Jimmer Fredette came into the game, and the Magic abandoned their side pick and roll assault and immediately put him in traditional high pick and rolls with the intent of forcing him to switch onto a big guy or guard Oladipo or Fournier with the ball in their hands.  These plays generated easy points.
• It felt like the Pelicans had way more than 11 turnovers.  Probably because the Magic turned them into 18 points – which is a phenomenal rate.
• Ryno continued his cold shooting on the road – though he did get to the line a bunch to make up for it.  Still, it would be nice to see him hit some shots away from New Orleans.

Game tomorrow against the new-look Heat.  Cole vs. Dragic!  Good times!