An abysmal start doomed the Spurs in their bout against the Pelicans. San Antonio simply could not buy a bucket in the first quarter or defend their opponent competently and trailed by 25 after the first 12 minutes. There was no reaction, no possible comeback, as the absences the Spurs had seemed to affect their cohesiveness more than not having Brandon Ingram available hurt New Orleans. At one point the deficit reached 40 points, as the visitors completely controlled the game from start to finish.
It was not only an embarrassing defeat to end a seven-game homestand, but also a missed opportunity to gain some ground on the Spurs’ biggest competitor for the last play-in spot.