In a season filled with lows, the New Orleans’ Pelicans dipped even lower Wednesday night.
The Pelicans lost 119-100 to the Portland Trail Blazers.
At one point, the Pelicans trailed by 33.
This wasn’t some road game in Philadelphia – where the Pelicans will play Friday night – or in Boston – where the Pelicans will play on Sunday.
This was on their own Smoothie King Center court in a game the Pelicans were 2-point favorites.
So the boos that rained down as the Pelicans exited the floor at halftime trailing 75-42 were understandable.
Those boos would have been louder except the crowd was small. People aren’t flocking to the Smoothie King Center to watch a bad team on a Wednesday on the second night of a back-to-back. Especially when their biggest draw, who dazzled in his return from a 2-month absence the night before, wasn’t playing.
Williamson was ruled out for the game hours before tip-off.
“As he gets more games under his belt, he’ll be able to play in some of these (back-to-back) games,” Pelicans’ coach Willie Green said. “But to start, we wanted to hold him out tonight.”
So the Pelicans didn’t have Williamson. They didn’t have much of anything. Not much offense. And not much defense in a game they trailed from start to finish. This loss ended up being as bad as the 26-point beatdown at the hands of the Toronto Raptors back in November.
“Tonight was one of those nights that we didn’t bring it,” Green said. That’s just being honest with our team and being honest with us as a group.”
Truth be told, the Pelicans haven’t brought it most nights.
It’s why they are sitting at 7-31 and at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Their only two wins over the last month have come against the Washington Wizards, the one team in the NBA with a worse record than the Pelicans.
Portland could’ve been another win.
It definitely shouldn’t have been a 19-point loss.
Effort alone should have made it a close game.
As has often been the case this season, the effort wasn’t there.
That falls on both Green and his players.
When asked about his team’s effort, Green had this to say.
“We’ve got to resist these games,” Green said. “Resist mental fatigue and continue to step on the floor and compete as a group. We didn’t do that at a high level tonight.”
It’s up to Green to get the most out of his players. And it’s on his players to play better and avoid some of the costly blunders that led to some head scratching turnovers Wednesday.
“This is not us,” said guard Jordan Hawkins. “We know that’s not us. Just sloppy. That’s the word for it. Tonight was just sloppy.”
But in reality, it is who the Pelicans are.
Afterall, you are what your record says you are.
Yes, the injuries have been an issue. The Pelicans started their 19th different starting lineup Wednesday night.
They could possibly start a 20th different lineup Friday against the 76ers since Herb Jones left Wednesday’s game after injuring his right shoulder for the second time this season. Brandon Boston also left the game with an injury.
The injuries, especially against teams like Portland, aren’t an excuse.
“We’ve got to bring it every night,” Green said. “It doesn’t matter who steps on the floor for us.”
That hasn’t happened.
Of the Pelicans’ 31 losses, 20 have been by double digits. Seven of the losses have been by 20 points or more.
This 19-point loss to the Blazers was a point shy of being added to the list.
This stat will give you an idea of how this loss to the Blazers was.
The Blazers, who are just 13-23, have won four games by double figures and three by 18 points or more this season.
All three of their wins by 18 points or more were against the Pelicans.
The latest one came Wednesday night, another low point in a season filled with them.
