NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Brooklyn Nets' win over the New Orleans Pelicans
Brooklyn Nets impressed upon the home crowd, the hopes of a possible playoff run this year, as they withstood Davis' monstrous return to the lineup and came through with a discernible 126-121 victory at home. The result has punched utter frustration into the minds of everyone concerned with the New Orleans Pelicans at the moment, be it players, coaches, or the front office.
AD and company have now lost seven of their last ten games while contrastingly, the Nets have now triumphed in seven of their previous ten clashes. The Pelicans lost five straight games about a week ago, and in a Conference like the West, that is suicide. They hold a miserable 17-22(0.436) record after the loss and at the moment, the only team that's worse than them on the West Standings are the lowly Phoenix Suns.
Also, they fall to 4-16 on the road, with seven of the next ten games scheduled to be played on the road.
On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets are the newest surging force behind the Rockets in the Western Conference. They conjured a seven-game winning streak not so long ago and have managed to win at regular intervals, taking their record to 18-21(0.462) on the season.
Let's draw out some key takeaways from this frustrating loss to the plummeting New Orleans Pelicans.
#1 Anthony Davis' monster double-double could not see his team through
Although all five Pelicans starters ended up scoring in double digits, Anthony Davis's team-high 34 points and career-high 26 rebounds were something worth applauding. He shot 12-of-25 from the floor, making 8 of his 9 free-throws. He also chipped in on the defensive end with a steal and three blocks.
"Man, when you got a guy like Anthony Davis down there, it's tough for us on the defensive end, it's tough for us on the offensive end," Nets' De'Angelo Russell admitted.
AD has been averaging 28.7 points and 13.4 rebounds per game this season, both of which are career-highs, but his stellar numbers are not translating into wins for his team.
"The frustration is just that we're a better team than what the records show. Everyone's frustrated. We just gotta do better. We just can't feel sorry about ourselves", confessed AD after the game.