Pelicans vs. Hornets Recap: The good, the bad and the Lonzo and LaMelo Ball
The Charlotte Hornets pulled off an impressive comeback in their lone national television game of the first half of the season, rallying from trailing by 18 to win going away in New Orleans on Friday, 118-110.
Charlotte allowed 38 first-quarter points and trailed by 16 by the end of the period and 12 at halftime. However, 71 second-half points allowed the Hornets to outscore the host Pelicans by 30 and win by double-digits.
Gordon Hayward finished with 26 points, tying Zion Williamson for game-high honors. Miles Bridges added 20 points, Devonte’ Graham had 17 and Terry Rozier chipped in 15.
For the Pelicans, Josh Hart had 19 points off the bench while Brandon Ingram and JJ Redick each chipped in 17.
The Good: The second half
After the Hornets started slowly yet again and the Pelicans jumped out to a double-digit lead, Charlotte charged back into the game with a huge second half. Buoyed by their strong three-point shooting, going 10-of-14 in the final two periods, the Hornets not only got themselves back into the contest but took control of the game in the fourth quarter. Honorable mentions: Miles Bridges' dunks, Gordon Hayward, Zion Williamson, JJ Redick busting out of a slump
The Bad: The Pelicans in the clutch
There's a worthy shout to citing the Pelicans' 19 turnovers, it was their inability to close a game that cost them yet again. Even with the Hornets surging in the second half, the Pelicans had a lead heading into the final five minutes. As The Athletic's Will Guillory noted after the game, New Orleans went 1-for-8 from the field, 3-of-5 from the line and turned it over twice. In that span, they were outscored 13-5. Honorable mentions: Brandon Ingram's second half
The Balls: LaMelo shines bright
LaMelo very nearly made history in his first national television game, finishing just one assist shy of a triple-double. Though he only shot 4-of-12 from the field, he finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists with a steal. Lonzo, meanwhile, struggled mightily on the night. He also struggled to shoot, going 2-of-8 overall and 1-of-7 from range with just five points. Unlike LaMelo, Lonzo could not make his impact felt in other ways, tallying just three assists and two rebounds.
