The New Orleans Pelicans opened the season with a 123-120 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but there were enough encouraging signs to suggest this group can hang around in tight games.
For Jamahl Mosley, the night started with a reminder of how thin the margin can be. New Orleans had a chance to finish the job after building a lead, then had another chance to force a tie late and couldn’t convert. Still, the biggest long-term takeaway may have come on the final possession: Zion Williamson was willing to take the three.
That matters because the Pelicans got a glimpse of the kind of aggressive response Mosley has been talking about. Williamson had a huge stretch late in the first half, knocking down a three from the elbow and then burying another one at the buzzer.
He celebrated it with plenty of emotion, and for good reason. Earlier in the game, he had a similar look and passed it up, a moment that clearly bothered him before he responded in a big way.
Williamson finished with 22 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The night’s top performance, though, may have come from Dejounte Murray. He finished with 23 points, three rebounds, seven assists, two steals and three blocks, and looked like the version of himself the Pelicans have been waiting to see. After a slow start to his time in New Orleans and the injury that interrupted it, Murray looked sharp on both ends and in complete control of the game.
Mosley also opened with Murray and Jeremiah Fears together, a move that had been floating around lately. Fears’ night got derailed early by foul trouble, and he was limited to just five minutes in the first half after picking up three fouls.
Fears and Derik Queen both had uneven outings, which fits where they are in their development. Queen started slowly but settled in and ended up contributing across the board. He finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, plus two steals.
The most impressive young player, though, was Yves Missi. The third-year center picked up right where he left off in the FIBA qualifiers this summer and backed up the praise he’s been getting in camp.
Missi posted 13 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, showing exactly the kind of all-around impact that could matter for New Orleans. Even with the center depth still a concern, he looked ready for a bigger role.
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