Pelicans (1-0), Pacers (0-1)
INDIANAPOLIS – Three-point attempts, fast-break points and scoring runs came in bunches during Saturday’s preseason opener for the Pelicans. In other words, a lot of what they’d like to see later this month, when the regular season commences Oct. 27 at Golden State. The first unofficial game of Alvin Gentry’s tenure as New Orleans’ new head coach featured 32 shots from beyond the arc, 22 transition points and a 67-point first half. The Pelicans built a lead of as many as 18 points after the break.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Undrafted rookie forward Bryce Dejean-Jones nailed a wing three-pointer, for a 104-93 lead with 3:02 left. It was New Orleans’ 11th made trey of the game. Indiana pulled closer in the final minute but never seriously threatened the lead.
PELICANS PLAYER UPDATES
- Anthony Davis looks already ready for the regular season, packing 18 points and eight rebounds into his 15 minutes of playing time. All of his work was done in the first half; he was rested after intermission.
- Jrue Holiday, who’s on a 10-minute restriction in preseason, looked good while playing nine-plus minutes, notching seven points and two blocks.
- Luke Babbitt nailed open threes and dribbled into quality shots, finishing with 16 points, featuring 3-for-7 three-point shooting.
- Alexis Ajinca left the game in the first half with a right hamstring injury. His status will likely be updated Monday, when the Pelicans practice following an off day.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“We know how we want to play – up and down. Even though we were sloppy, we scored 110 points. Just imagine when we get it right.” – Anthony Davis
“I think we did a good job with the tempo and pace of the game. Our goal was to get 100 shots up; I think we got 103. I thought we played unselfishly. Our turnovers were down – we only had 11 – so that’s a really good thing, because we played so many different lineups and so many groups of people.” – Alvin Gentry
BY THE NUMBERS
586: New Orleans three-pointers made during the 2014-15 regular season. That’s an average of 7.1 per game. That number could rise dramatically in Gentry’s attack. Gentry has mentioned several times recently that the Pelicans have a total of seven shooters who are dangerous based on their standstill accuracy from the arc.
1,583: New Orleans three-point attempts during the 2014-15 regular season, an average of 19.3 per game.