February 23rd - New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat - 34-22

[Pelicanidae]

Friday night heat 🔥

🏀: vs Heat
🕖: 7:00 pm CT
📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @995WRNO #Pelicans | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/uR3rwgnccq

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 23, 2024

Pels take a big win last game to go 12 games over .500 - can they continue on the second night of a back to back against Miami?

The Heat are currently 30-25, the 8th seed in the East, and have won 4 of their last 5 prior to all-star break. This is their first game back. They're a top 10 defense but a bottom 10 offense, which is always an interesting combination to face.

Let's see if the Pels can put another one away or if the nascent streak is stuffed already.

[stevemadden504]

If they put up a wall for Zion why not put shooters on the floor to space them out

[hornetsrebirth]

Hell yeah! Super tough comeback from down 19 points to go into the half tied up. Way to show heart and fight back after the knockdown

[RobertM320]

How in the world are we tied at halftime?

Lot of grit. Could have just written it off as not our night but they fought back. 28-9 run in the last 7:24 of the period.

[hornetsrebirth]

Herb Jones has really become a complete player. He can take it to the cup and finish on drives. He has been knocking down threes consistently for some time now. Damn dude, Herb Jones is that guy

[hornetsrebirth]

Trey is hesitating on shooting his 3s now

[Tpstr]

Other than the ejections, did this ref crew call one foul on the Heat the remainder of the 4th?

[PELICANSFAN]

Trey is hesitating on shooting his 3s now

Trey has been nothing but terrible. He has either lost his confidence or forgot how to shoot. He seems to be in his own head.

[PELICANSFAN]

Spoelstra with the BS-

"It was just, I think, a misunderstanding of the play," Spoelstra said. "I think Zion slipped on the play when K-Love grabbed him and it looked a lot worse than what it was. And then everybody kind of overreacted.

"I think they interpreted that K-Love threw (Williamson) down. On K-Love's best day, I don't think he could throw him down."

Zion did not slip. Love grabbed him and tossed him. It looked worse than it was because of Zion's momentum, but to blow it off as Zion slipping is disingenuous.

[PELICANSFAN]

Other than the ejections, did this ref crew call one foul on the Heat the remainder of the 4th?

Maybe 1. It is ridiculous that teams keep getting more FTs than us on our home floor. The Heat doubled us tonight.

[13 - 3]

We gave a good fight at least. I did not think we would win this one especially on a back to back.

[NOEngineer]

Our shooters (Murphy, McCollum and Hawkins) were 7 of 28 from the field. I would have like to see Matt Ryan get a chance. Zion was sluggish, careless and a bit lazy on this 2nd of a back-to-back, but he also got royally screwed on calls. Butler was ejected, but still shot only one less free throw in 27 minutes than the entire Pelicans team in 240 total minutes. Typical "home court advantage" for the New Orleans team when we play against any competitive team, no matter what the sport. I'll watch the free games at home, but can't stand paying to watch us get screwed over at the arena every time I go.

[Creative]

What a disappointment... we came back in this game 2 times to lose like this ? TMIII is another BIG disappointment. We have a LOT to work on.

[NOEngineer]

Our shooters (Murphy, McCollum and Hawkins) were 7 of 28 from the field. I would have like to see Matt Ryan get a chance. Zion was sluggish, careless and a bit lazy on this 2nd of a back-to-back, but he also got royally screwed on calls. Butler was ejected, but still shot only one less free throw in 27 minutes than the entire Pelicans team in 240 total minutes. Typical "home court advantage" for the New Orleans team when we play against any competitive team, no matter what the sport. I'll watch the free games at home, but can't stand paying to watch us get screwed over at the arena every time I go.

Sorry, it was actually 7 for 38.....

[neworleanshoo]

Really concerned about my man Trey. Totally in his head and there doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel right now. I guess the only answer is to shoot his way out of it, but he absolutely killed us last night. At some point we can't keep letting that happen.

[hornetsrebirth]

Our shooters (Murphy, McCollum and Hawkins) were 7 of 28 from the field. I would have like to see Matt Ryan get a chance. Zion was sluggish, careless and a bit lazy on this 2nd of a back-to-back, but he also got royally screwed on calls. Butler was ejected, but still shot only one less free throw in 27 minutes than the entire Pelicans team in 240 total minutes. Typical "home court advantage" for the New Orleans team when we play against any competitive team, no matter what the sport. I'll watch the free games at home, but can't stand paying to watch us get screwed over at the arena every time I go.

I agree with your points about the shooters and the foul calls but I thought Zion played well. He was grabbing rebounds and holding up well on defense in addition to having to carry the offense.

[RobertM320]

I agree with your points about the shooters and the foul calls but I thought Zion played well. He was grabbing rebounds and holding up well on defense in addition to having to carry the offense.

Exactly. 35 minutes on the second game of a B2B, after playing 35 minutes in the first game, and going 23-9-7 is not sluggish and lazy. Especially considering that in the second half we only had Jose to play PG, until he got ejected. We were playing a good part the 4th qtr with a lineup of Zion, Herb, Nance, Hawkins and Robinson-Earl. What did you really expect Zion to do with that lineup? One shooter who's a rookie and Zion.

[Karas]

The Pels were going to Jonas in the first quarter and in the first half. It was working even though it was a below-average game for JV. Then, in the second, they go away from what works and, as usual, bench him in the fourth? Nance -11 for the game. WHY?!?!?

[6warddude]

zion had a good game on a back to back but , ill say it again, zion need to develop a jump shot to make his life easy against good defensive teams or a team with a defensive center ...the last 4mins or less was just sit back and let zion come to us and force him to go over our length...a good open jump shot in the paint would have had easily keep us scoring at will and force any team to adjust their interior defense when guarding zion in close games no matter who the other 4 players are around him...

[PELICANSFAN]

zion had a good game on a back to back but , ill say it again, zion need to develop a jump shot to make his life easy against good defensive teams or a team with a defensive center ...the last 4mins or less was just sit back and let zion come to us and force him to go over our length...a good open jump shot in the paint would have had easily keep us scoring at will and force any team to adjust their interior defense when guarding zion in close games no matter who the other 4 players are around him...

Agree. Would have helped him if ANYONE could hit a damned 3. Trey has become almost unplayable and Hawkins was terrible. We need to get Hawk regular minutes and let him get into a rhythm. Not sure what the issue with Trey is, but he looks like he forgot how to shoot.