For the second time in franchise history, New Orleans showed up flat on Christmas Day. As mentioned in the preview, they fell flat on their face in Orlando back in 2008, and fans were treated to another dismal performance today.
However, unlike seven years ago, though, the Pelicans had a chance to win the game in regulation. After taking a timeout with 13.5 seconds, Alvin Gentry was forced to take another just 5 seconds later because Tyreke Evans failed to execute what he had drawn up in the huddle seconds ago. Following the second timeout, the Pelicans ended up settling for a long contested two by Anthony Davis that failed to scare the rim.