Pelicans’ cruel effort not enough to get past Grizzlies | Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans returned to Smoothie King Center on Sunday after three consecutive double -digit losses on the road.

This time, despite being short -handed, they held it tightly.

However, that was still not enough when the Pelicans lost a 107-104 nail bitter to Memphis Grizzlies on an evening when both Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum saw from the bench.

Grizzlies’ guard yes Morant missed one of two free throwing with 6.9 seconds left to give the pelicans one last chance. Jose Alvarado Air balled a 3-pointer. Jordan Hawkins got a rebound and threw it to Kelly Olynyk, who also missed out on what would have been a game-binding 3-pointer.

“I loved our elasticity and our ability to stay together,” said Pelican’s coach Willie Green. “After going a severe loss to Houston, traveling and playing back-to-back against a good Western conference team, I loved our approach to the game tonight.”

Trey Murphy and Alvarado tried to pick up the slack in the absence of Williamson and McCollum.

Murphy led the Pelicans with 27 points and five rebounds. Alvarado scored 11 points and had a career high 11 assists.

Murphy also delivered the game’s biggest highlight in the first quarter. On the play, Murphy-with-back jumped to the basket high and caught a Jose Alvarado Pass thrown from Beyond Half Court and finished Gyden-Oop with a backward sludge.

That was the start of what turned out to be a good first half for the Pelicans who led 64-57 at the break. Murphy scored 12 points in half and got lots of help from role players. Jordan Hawkins, who started, scored nine points in half. So did Rookie Antonio Reeves, who came from the bench and knocked down all three of his 3-point attempts in the first half.

But fur let Grizzlie’s climb back into it in the third quarter and get the Outscored 32-15.

Morant scored 11 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter.

One evening after completing their seasonal series and gone Winless in their four games against Houston Rockets, Pelicans also ended their seasonal series with Grizzlies without win. The chances of winning this one so bleak from the start, with Williamson and McCollum sitting out the other night with back-to-back games.

The Pelicans (17-48) lost their fourth straight battle. All four losses came against teams in the top joint at the Western Conference. The pelicans’ recent sliding started with a loss to Los Angeles Lakers (currently number two in the West), then coherent loss to Rockets (fifth in the West) and now in fourth place Griizzlies (40-24).

“It’s part of the NBA,” said Pelican’s coach Willie Green. “Part of being in this league, especially being at the western conference, is no night free. Virtually everyone you want to meet will be physical. They have something to play for. So for us that doesn’t change. We have to go into it with the right mindset and the right approach. “

Rookie Center Karlo Matkovic recorded his second career -double double, ending with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Yves Missi ended with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Pelicans’ home continues on Tuesday against Los Angeles Clippers and then Thursday against Orlando Magic.

“There are still some things we have to clean up,” Green said. “But no argument with the effort.”