Larry Ness
Oct 23 '18, 8:05 PM in 7h
NBA | Clippers vs Pelicans
Play on: Pelicans -6½ -107 at 5Dimes
My Bonus Play is on the NO Pelicans at 8:05 ET.
The New Orleans Pelicans scored 131 points in their season-opening 19-point win over the Rockets last Wednesday in Houston and then followed up with a franchise-record 149 points in a home rout of the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Meanwhile, the LA Clippers are 2-1 after a season-opening three-game homestand in which they lost to the Nuggets but then beat the Thunder (108-92 on Fri) and the Rockets (115-122 on Sun). With tonight's game in New Orleans, the Clippers begin a stretch in which six of their next eight games will be on the road.
Rookie guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kentucky) has shown signs that he's ready to contribute right now, as he reached double digits twice while averaging 8.3 points during the homestand. On the flip side, fellow guard Avery Bradley has totaled just 15 points in the three games, shooting only 7-for-23 (30.4 percent) overall and 1-for-8 (12.5 percent) on three-pointers. However, Bradley has been a big factor defensively, helping the Clippers limit high-powered opposing guards Jamal Murray, Dennis Schroder and James Harden to a combined 16-for-53 shooting (30.2 percent).
The question you now start to hear in New Orleans is, "Who needs Boogie Cousins?" The Pelicans knew they could count on A.D. (28.5-13.0-7.0) but the 6-10 Nikola Mirotic is averaging 33.0 & 9.5! That duo has led New Orleans to win its first two games by an average of 19.5 PPG. "We've been just playing fast, sharing the ball, playing very unselfish," Mirotic told reporters. "I think we're going to be big trouble for the rest of the teams." A nice surprise has been guard Elfrid Payton, a free-agent signing who made his Pelicans debut with a triple-double at Houston. Then there is Julius Randle, who is averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds in his first two games since being signed as a free agent in the offseason.
Mirotic just may be right when he said, "I think we're going to be big trouble for the rest of the teams." The Pelicans went 3-1 against the Clippers last season, shooting 47.1 percent. This year's team looks better than last year's plus the Clippers are a team looking for an identity. They won't fine it here, in their first road game of the new season. Lay the points.
Good luck...Larry