Pelicans Fought Hard, Lost A Heartbreaker To The Timberwolves

The New Orleans Pelicans lost a heartbreaker at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans lost a heartbreaking game 121-120 to the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night in the Smoothie King Center. The loss snaps the Pels' two-game winning streak. Zion Williamson sat the second game of the back-to-back for rest purposes. The Pelicans won their Friday night matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

New Orleans showed no ill effects from playing on back-to-back nights, coming out the gate strong against the rested Timberwolves. The ball movement was prevalent from the opening tip as the Pelicans dished out nine assists on 12 made field goals. Jonas Valanciunas was the Pels' high man with 11 points in the quarter. 

The Pelicans were able to score on the NBA's best defense, tying their first-quarter high with 35 points. Every Pelican player who saw the court in the quarter scored, and the team was 5/8 from beyond the arc. Anthony Edward led the Wolves with seven points in the opening period.

The referee whistle took over in the second quarter. Jonas was whistled for his third foul with about seven minutes left in the half, and he had to sit for the remainder of the quarter. Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert all had three fouls for Minnesota by the second quarter. Still, the Wolves were able to score in the paint, outscoring New Orleans 28-20 in the restricted area. Minnesota cut the Pels's lead to 64-59 by halftime. 

Nov 18, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) and forward Herbert Jones (5) during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Ingram paced the Pelicans offense in the third quarter, scoring 11 points for a game-high 26 points at the time. Anthony Edwards picked up his fourth foul in the quarter and had to sit on the bench again for an extended period of time. The Pelicans defense forced five Wolves turnovers in the quarter, and New Orleans extended its lead to double-digits heading into the fourth.

Valanciunas then reasserted himself on the offensive end, scoring eight straight points to start the fourth quarter for New Orleans. Minnesota would not go away quietly, however. After crawling their way back into the game, Karl-Anthony Towns hit a three-point shot with 1:26 left to give the Wolves a 119-117 advantage. Brandon Ingram returned the favor on the next possession by hitting a circus shot to tie the game back at 119. 

The Wolves next possession saw Rudy Gobert miss two free throws, with Dyson Daniels rebounding the miss. Brandon Ingram was fouled on the Pels next possession, but he only made one free throw, leaving the Wolves with 10 seconds on the clock and down one. The back-and-forth continued with Karl Anthony Towns' jumper giving the Wolves a one-point lead with four seconds remaining. 

New Orleans had one opportunity to win the game at the buzzer, but Brandon Ingram's jumper fell short, and the Pelicans suffered defeat by one point. New Orleans led most of the game as the Wolves' biggest lead of the game was two points. Ingram led the Pelicans with 30 points on the evening. Valanciunas chipped in 26 points in the defeat.

The Pelicans continue their home stand with two games remaining against the Sacramento Kings, beginning on Monday. Zion Williamson is expected back along with the possible return of guard Jose Alvarado.