Dreadful start dooms Spurs against shorthanded Pelicans

The Spurs couldn't take advantage of a prime opportunity to get a win against a superior but severely shorthanded opponent, as they lost 126-117 to a Pelicans team that was missing Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and others. C.J. McCollum went off for 40 points for the home team while Jeremy Sochan had his best performance as a pro with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

It’s been rare for the Spurs to have a talent advantage this season due to their roster and their bad health, but on Thursday they were at the very least evenly matched. Unfortunately, that only made the struggles they had early on all the more painful to watch. Very little went San Antonio’s way in the first quarter,…