The biggest injured-related development prior to Tuesday’s game between New Orleans and Portland was the news that Trail Blazers second-leading scorer and starting shooting guard C.J. McCollum would return from a foot injury that kept him sidelined for the previous two months.
Pelicans try to learn from mistakes after Blazers pull off improbable late-game comeback
It was one of the finest performances of Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s brief NBA career, but only for the first 47 minutes. It was one of the best games New Orleans has played in 2020-21, but only for the first 42 minutes.