A mere 14 seconds after the opening tip, the small SKC crowd erupted in cheer — Frank Jackson had just connected with Anthony Davis for a thunderous alley-oop dunk to put an emphatic exclamation on the start for the New Orleans Pelicans. The play was so perfectly executed out of the locker room, the slam so vicious, that any bad feelings towards AD had to momentarily be set aside.
Unfortunately, the finish of the game couldn’t have invoked a more opposite feeling, one of utter perplexion, as the Pelicans were charged a technical foul in overtime — which resulted in the Suns game-winning point — for trying to call a timeout when New Orleans had none left.