In a game that looked very close to out of reach for the Pelicans near the end of the first half, New Orleans came storming back in the third and carried the onslaught into the 4th behind some hot shooting beyond the arc. The Bulls made it a game again about halfway through the 4th quarter behind the dangerous three-headed monster of Tony Snell, E’Twaun Moore & Bobby Portis, but the Pelicans created some separation in the closing minutes with some clutch shooting by Sean Kilpatrick. Not even Chris Douglas-Roberts re-entering the game for the Pels could save the Bulls, as the Pelicans held on to win 123-115. More game notes:

• Let’s start with the obvious – Anthony Davis is awesome. He finished his night with 4 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, scoring 26 points on 16 shots in 27 1/2 minutes of action. He made the only 3-pointer that he attempted, and also collected 8 rebounds. At one point, he took the ball coast-to-coast and finished with a smooth layup on the other end, which you should fully expect to see more of this season.
• The Pelicans were out-rebounded 31-16 in the first half, which makes a whole lot of sense when you consider the fact that the only “true center” that played was Kendrick Perkins (6 minutes). Until Asik and Ajinca return, the Pelicans are going to have to rely pretty heavily on unusual sources for help on the glass, which could hurt their ability to get out and run in transition.
• Tyreke Evans had a very strong showing, peaking in the 3rd quarter with 10 of the team’s 37(!) points in the period. Evans finished with 18 points on just 10 attempts in his 24 minutes of play. Nice to see him looking comfortable in Gentry’s offense.
• Jrue Holiday played his expected limited minutes (11), but looked strong while he was in there (as long as you ignore his 0-3 night from the free throw line).
• The unlikely star of the night for the Pelicans was unquestionably Sean Kilpatrick, who put up 23 points on 7-12 shooting (3-7 from 3-point range). His shooting played an integral role in the Pelicans maintaining their lead late and coming away with the win.
• The Pelicans’ LVP was unquestionably Chris Douglas-Roberts, who never looked anywhere near competent on the defensive end. He has to be on the outside looking in when it comes to his chances of making the regular season roster.
• Ryan Anderson’s scoring efficiency numbers likely won’t impress many, but he finished 4-6 from beyond the arc and pulled down more offensive rebounds (5) than the rest of the Pelicans team combined (4). They’re going to need that from him early on with Asik and Ajinca out to start the season.
• Possibly due in part to the players missing from action tonight, about 31% of the Pelicans’ first half field goal attempts were of the “long 2” variety, but they drove that number down to 22% in the second half.

Overall, a fun game to watch, especially if you’re interested in seeing which borderline roster guys may end up making the cut. Gutty second half performance from the Pelicans’ reserves, and they earned their victory.

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