E’Twaun Moore came off the bench in the first half and started dropping in his trademark feathery floaters, along with three-point buckets. Jahlil Okafor was a second-half beast in the paint, proving unstoppable for Brooklyn’s undermanned frontcourt. In between, New Orleans guards Frank Jackson and rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker added energy and scoring production.
Pelicans fifth-year head coach Alvin Gentry frequently used the phrase “next man up” leading up to Wednesday’s 31-point scrimmage rout over the Nets, a message his players seemed to embrace wholeheartedly. In their first “game action” since March 8, New Orleans looked more than ready for basketball, pouring in 56 first-half points in just 20 minutes.