Pelicans reaction: New Orleans’ comeback bid falls short against Bulls
The Pelicans overturned an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to steal a win away from the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, but New Orleans’ frantic comeback bid fell apart in the final minutes and the Bulls held on for a 128-124 win.
The comeback ended in earnest with a pair of late Zion Williamson misses at the free-throw line. With the Pelicans trailing 117-113, Williamson was fouled and had a chance to cut the deficit to two with 1:23 remaining. After clanging both, Bulls big man Wendell Carter Jr. pulled down a crucial offensive rebound on the other end and scored a put-back to restore the Bulls’ lead to six.
The Pelicans managed to hang around in the final minute thanks to the Bulls’ inexplicable inability to refrain from fouling while trying to protect a lead, but Chicago executed from the foul line, and New Orleans didn’t have enough time to close the gap.
The good: J.J. Redick
As trade rumors continue to swirl around the veteran sharpshooter, he boosted his value with one of his best performances of the season off the bench. Redick went 9-of-15 from the field and scored 22 points - his first 20-point outing since the Pelicans' season opener. The Pelicans don't have a chance in the fourth quarter without Redick's productivity on Wednesday. He finished +17 in 28 minutes, easily the best plus/minus of any Pelican.
The bad: A disastrous second-quarter run
A Brandon Ingram jumper tied the game at 37-37 with 6:49 left to play in the half. By the time the Pelicans hit the locker room, they trailed by 19. The Bulls took control of the game with a 27-8 run to close the second period, led by Coby White, Zach LaVine, and aggressive play to get to the foul line. The Pelicans didn't make any headway in the third, and but finally clamped down on defense and clawed back into the game in the fourth.
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