Valanciunas, Pelicans Dominate the Boards & Spoil the Hornets' Home Opener
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It's been a long time since the Charlotte Hornets played in front of its home crowd, not counting preseason. The fans showed out packing Spectrum Center for the home opener but were sent home disappointed as the Hornets fell to the New Orleans Pelicans, 124-112.
Steve Clifford hoped that his team would replicate the solid start they had in San Antonio on Wednesday night but unfortunately, that was not the case. New Orleans forced six turnovers in the opening frame which translated to 15 points. Four different Pelicans recorded a steal while the other two turnovers were unforced. Defensive menace Jose Alvarado played a big part in Charlotte's sloppiness even though he didn't force a turnover. His presence was enough to disrupt the flow of the offense and made it difficult to even cross halfcourt on a couple of occasions.
Jonas Valanciunas gave Charlotte some issues early on notching 12 points, but he would be limited to just two points in the second quarter. Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, and Kelly Oubre Jr. found some rhythm on the offensive end, helping the Hornets climb back into it with a 16-6 run to make it a 50-44 game.
New Orleans had a 61-51 advantage at the half.
Coming into the night, the biggest concern for the Hornets was how they would handle the Pelicans' bigs in the paint. Plumlee and company actually did a pretty decent job defending them but were on the wrong side of the whistle more often than not. As a team, New Orleans got to the free throw line 12 times in the third quarter compared to Charlotte's three.
The backcourt duo of Terry Rozier and Dennis Smith Jr. sparked a 9-3 Hornets run to open up the fourth quarter. Brandon Ingram lost control of the ball around mid-court and Rozier scooped it up and threw down a dunk to make it a two-point game, 96-94.
New Orleans called timeout and continued to feed Valanciunas in the paint to create a bit of separation. The Pelicans' big man totaled 16 points and nine rebounds in the second half and finished the game with 30 and 17. Although the Pelicans pulled away in the end, it was still an encouraging out for the Hornets against a team that many expect to be a player in the Western Conference this season.
The Hornets will hit the road for the first of a three-game roadtrip that starts Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. EST.
QTR BY QTR STATS
1ST: NO led 35-24
NO: 12/21 FG | 4/9 3FG | 12 REB | 9 AST | 3 TOs | 14 PIP
CHA: 10/25 FG | 4/10 3FG | 10 REB | 5 AST | 6 TOs | 10 PIP
2ND: NO led 61-51
NO: 13/29 FG | 1/6 3FG | 15 REB | 6 AST | 2 TOs | 20 PIP
CHA: 11/22 FG | 2/8 3FG | 11 REB | 9 AST | 3 TOs | 10 PIP
3RD: NO led 93-85
NO: 10/18 FG | 2/3 3FG | 11 REB | 2 AST | 4 TOs | 14 PIP
CHA: 13/29 FG | 5/8 3FG | 9 REB | 10 AST | 0 TOs | 14 PIP
4TH: NO wins 124-112
NO: 8/21 FG | 1/4 3FG | 15 REB | 6 AST | 7 TOs | 14 PIP
CHA: 10/21 FG | 2/8 3FG | 7 REB | 6 AST | 5 TOs | 14 PIP
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