On December 29, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, with the Pelicans playing at home against the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers led by 23 points in the first quarter, but the Pelicans then frantically filled the pit under the leadership of rookie Jones and Valanciunas, completing the score reversal in the final moments of the final quarter, Mobly missed an equalizer, Valanciunas took a steady free throw, and finally the Pelicans reversed the Cavaliers 108-104.
Field data
Cavaliers Mobley had 22 points and seven rebounds, Rubio had 27 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, Markkanen had 14 points and five rebounds and Love had 24 points.
Pelican Jones had 26 points and seven rebounds, Valanciunas had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Clark had 12 points, Tappel had 17 points and Graham had 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The Star of the Field
The Pelicans' rookie Jones blasted a team-high 26 points in this campaign, leading the team to a 23-point reversal, which is the best player of the game.
Highlight lenses
Rubio made a smart breakthrough
Rubio chased for three points
Mobly 2+1
Jones fights back against a dragon
Game replay
In the first quarter, Rubio scored seven points in a row, Markkanen hit two free throws, Wade hit a three-pointer, and the Cavaliers started 12-2. The Pelicans hit piecemeal hits, Rubio and Valentine hit three-pointers, Love hit three consecutive three-pointers, Mobley scored five straight points, Love hit another three, and the Cavaliers hit a crazy attack wave to lead 23 points 37-14. The Pelicans scored consecutive points to narrow the gap, and the first quarter ended with the Cavaliers leading 39-20.
Entering the second quarter, pelicans' Hayes finished 2+1, and Markkanen also attacked. The Pelicans blossomed inside and out, Clark hit three consecutive points, and the Cavaliers also blossomed more than a little. The Pelicans hit an attack wave to chase a difference of 8 points, Love made two free throws to stop the bleeding for the Cavaliers, and the Pelicans only trailed by 5 points inside and outside. The two sides competed, and Mobley scored 5 points to help the Cavaliers stabilize the situation. At the end of the first half, the Cavaliers led 58-48.
Easy side fights again, Rubio breaks through, Mobly hooks, Pelicans Jones and Clark blossom inside and out, the two sides continue to compete, and the Cavaliers maintain a 10-point lead or so. Graham scored four points in a row for the Pelicans to trail the deficit by nine points, and Rubio scored three points. Graham hit all three free throws for the Pelicans, Mobley and Anderson hit both, and the Cavaliers pulled away again. The Pelicans hit three consecutive three-pointers, and Valentine gave the Cavaliers a three-pointer. Harper threw a throw to continue chasing points for the Pelicans, and the third quarter ended with the Cavaliers leading 83-76.
In the final quarter, Markkanen scored a strong attack, followed by a downward split, And The Knights once again pulled the point difference to double digits. But the Pelicans didn't give up, Temple and Valanciunas blossomed inside and out, Jones went up in a dragon, and the Pelicans closed the gap to two points with a 15-5 attack wave. The Cavaliers requested a timeout, and after the timeout, Temple and Graham hit another three-point long-range shooting, and the Pelicans rebounded by five points at 102-97. Love resisted the pressure to shoot a three-pointer, Valanciunas hit two free throws, Mobley missed a three-pointer, Valanciunas hit two free throws again, Lefou hit a three-point shot too late, and finally the Pelicans reversed the Cavaliers 108-104.
Player ratings
Pelicans: Jones: 9.9, Clark: 9.6, Valanciunas: 9.8, Graham: 9.9, Temple: 9.9
Cavaliers: Rubio: 9.8, Mobli: 9.9, Markkanen: 5.8, Okoro: 6.8, Wade 2.5, Lefour: 9.9, Mobley: 9.9