The oft-maligned effort level of the Pelicans was not a problem tonight. However, they did need every single ounce of energy to narrowly defeat the Charlotte Hornets at the final buzzer.
It was a tale of two quarters in the first half for the Pelicans. The team started hot out of the gates, hitting 4 of their first 5 three-pointers, but they never were able to put any ground between themselves and the Hornets. In fact, Charlotte hovered around a 60% mark from the field, led by Kemba Walker, and it propelled them to a 34-32 lead after 12 minutes.