The New Orleans Pelicans have been in the headlines a lot recently, most of it surrounding Zion Williamson's weight. Tuesday night they were in the news again, this time after losing in overtime to the Memphis Grizzlies following a 13-point lead to start the fourth quarter.
The Pelicans were outscored 49-35 in the fourth quarter and overtime, losing by one to the Grizzlies. It is the second time in a week that Memphis beat New Orleans. The Grizzlies won on a buzzer-beater from Ja Morant in his first game back from a lengthy suspension.
The Pelicans have now lost three of their last four games after winning four in a row and are 17-14. CJ McCollum, who scored 16 points in the loss, spoke about New Orleans' lack of execution and chemistry lately.
“We're a ‘young' team in terms of not having played together, but you know how to play basketball. You gotta figure it out,” McCollum said, via Pelicans Film Room. “Now it's about putting it all together and executing down the stretch.”
Pelicans having problems
All of the rumors about Zion Williamson may or may not have an impact on the Pelicans' current form. Despite his much-discussed weight issues, Williamson had played fairly well for New Orleans this season.
In 25 games, Williamson averages over 22 points and six rebounds a game, shooting over 57 percent from the field. He recorded his third double-double of the season on Tuesday in the loss, scoring 23 points with 11 rebounds.
The Pelicans have a ton of talent, but putting it all together has been a problem for them at times for one reason or another. New Orleans hasn’t won a playoff series since 2018 and isn’t exactly a world-beating team this season.
There's plenty of basketball to be played and the Pelicans' season can go either way. As one of the veteran leaders on the team, CJ McCollum will be tasked with getting the younger guys in sync and making it a priority to create a unit.
The NBA All-Star break is juust under two months away. The Pelicans could be in a very different spot by then.
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