After the introduction of CJ McCollum, the New Orleans Pelicans' record in recent times has indeed improved, and at one point they also got the opportunity to impact the playoffs. Yes, as of now, they can also achieve a record of 27 wins and 38 losses, ranking 10th in the West, and there is a great possibility of surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, the Pelicans' roster has never been bad, they have a champion Zion, as well as a flower show Ingram, and some quality players such as Valanciunas. However, Zion has not yet made a comeback this season, and the team can only be bullied.
And this game, the Pelicans, who returned home, accepted the challenge of the Orlando Magic. Ingram is expected to miss out for about a week because of a slight strain on his hamstring. Therefore, in this competition, the Pelicans suffered a crazy blow from the Orlando Magic at the beginning. In the first quarter, although McCollum was able to continue to play aggressively on the offensive end, sending 8 points and 1 rebound, the status of the other players in the team was not online, and the team only scored 17 points in a single quarter, allowing the Magic team to play everywhere and play a 30-17 score.
The start of the game was a feat of domination, and the Magic team, which entered the second quarter of the showdown, was able to stabilize the situation and further widen the point difference. The return of Valanciunas and Jones did not work, and the Magic, who remained in a high state, sent a 26-24 score to take a two-point lead. By the end of the first half, the Magic had a 15-point lead with a 56-41 lead. Entering the second half, the Pelicans were able to fight back effectively and did not allow the Magic to easily win the game.
In the third quarter of the competition, the single-core led McCollum broke out again. He shot 6-of-8 in a single quarter, delivering 14 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists, and starting center Valanciunas was not to be outdone, also sending 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. With a succession of starts, the Pelicans took advantage of the trend to play a 32-25 score, chasing back the seven points behind in the first half. Before entering the crucial final quarter of the showdown, the gap between the two sides was narrowed to 8 points, and the Pelicans still had the potential to achieve a reversal.
Unfortunately, in the regular competition in the fourth quarter, although the Pelicans were able to contribute to Valanciunas' 16 points in a single quarter, playing a 29-27 score, they failed to achieve a final reversal. The game ended with the Magic taking a 108-102 lead to the game. Looking back on the game, McCollum has done his best. He played 38 minutes in a single game, delivering a game-high score of 32 points, as well as 4 rebounds and 8 assists. It is worth affirming that in the past, in Portland, he was obviously only the second leader of the team, and after the transfer to New Orleans, he became the big boss of the single beam.
However, we must also admit that the starting center of this game, Valanciunas, also did well. In the 34 minutes of a single game, he also sent a 30+15 luxury double-double stat, playing the value of his starting center. On the other hand, the Magic team that won the game away, the five players in the team scored to double digits, although there is no explosive data, but it is still commendable to rely on the pressure of the players in the team to bear the pressure and win the game.