The New Orleans Pelicans came into their final game before the All-Star break looking to shed an ugly stretch with a victory over the Miami Heat. Minus Zion Williamson, the odds appeared stacked against the Pelicans, but in a matchup where Bam Abedeyo was out for the Heat, not all hope was lost Thursday night.
In what was a relatively low scoring matchup by today’s standards, New Orleans struggled to knock down shots all too often, and they had no answer for Miami out the gate in the first quarter. That frame ultimately became the biggest deciding factor as the Pels were out scored 31-15 in a game that the Pelicans would wind up losing 103-93.