“They played a lot harder than we did. They competed and they played together and moved the basketball and we didn’t. When you’re going against a team like that the result is you’re going to get your ass kicked at home.”

–Alvin Gentry

That sums the New Orleans Pelicans (5-16) 111-93 loss against the Boston Celtics (12-9). The Pelicans played hard and looked to be getting the upper hand after surviving a first quarter tied at 25 with Anthony Davis only playing 6 minutes due to foul trouble and Tyreke Evans nor Eric Gordon scoring a single point. The Pelicans were up 42-40 with 4:31 to go in the second quarter when the Celtics subbed in Amir Johnson and Jae Crowder to go along with Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger and Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics would go on a 13-2 run to end the second quarter and never looked back.

The Pelicans starting backcourt of Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon were outscored 33-0 by Boston starters Bradley and Thomas. For the first time since his rookie season, Anthony Davis played over 13 minutes and didn’t attempt a free throw. The Celtics scored more points in the prime time zones: points in the paint, at the charity stripe, and beyond the arc (103), than the Pelicans did total points 93 (The Pelicans had 63 points in prime time zones.) The Pelicans shot an abysmal 18/44 (41%) from inside the paint for 36 points.

The Pelicans came out 0-3 on the keys to the game, scoring only 93 points (17 less than their home average heading into the game), Davis having a poor performance (16 points on 8/21 shooting and six rebounds), and letting Thomas go off for 22 points on 9/13 shooting.

The New Orleans Pelicans next game is Friday night at 7 pm against the Washington Wizards at the Smoothie King Center.

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