NBA scores 2018: The Jekyll and Hyde Pelicans just can’t stay consistent and 7 more things from Wednesday

The New Orleans Pelicans desperately want to be good. They should be, something we saw when they clawed — do Pelicans have claws? — out a win against the Boston Celtics in overtime on Tuesday. It was the team’s third straight win, and a rare opportunity for New Orleans to surge ahead in the standings.

Wednesday’s circumstances weren’t easy, no. It was the third and final game of an East Coast road trip. The previous two had gone to overtime. It was the second night of a back to back. But good teams win back to backs against the worst team in the league, which means there’s no excuses for New Orleans to be in a position where Kent Bazemore could beat them with two seconds left. But yet ...

It was fitting that Bazemore’s shot came over Anthony Davis, who was eerily quiet, taking just eight shots and scoring as many points. This same Davis had a 45-point, 16-rebound game against Boston and a 48-point, 17-rebound performance against New York over the weekend, but Atlanta shut him down. Davis played 38 minutes on Wednesday, but it was by far his worst performance all year.

The rest of the Pelicans took after Davis, including a dismal 10-point third quarter that allowed the Hawks to sneak back into the game. Between The Brow, DeMarcus Cousins, and Jrue Holiday, New Orleans has three legitimate stars. Their depth is shoddy — the Pelicans are badly hoping the buyout market treats them well come March — but their top-heavy talent should be carrying them further than it has. Instead, the team is lounging at 23-21, tied with two other teams for the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference, with the surging Clippers looking ready to move past them.

That could have New Orleans, too, surging ahead with four straight wins. Look at their upcoming schedule: vs. Memphis, vs. Chicago, at Charlotte, vs. Houston, vs. LA Clippers, vs. Sacramento. Four of those six are games this team should win, but so was Wednesday’s matchup against Atlanta, and the Pelicans couldn’t pull that off. As much as we like this team, they’re not all that inspirational.

Clifford’s first game back since his medical leave of absence came Wednesday, and Charlotte welcomed him back with 133 points dropped on the Washington Wizards. Skipping past the basketball for a second, it’s good to see Clifford back on the sidelines.

The Wizards deserved it, too, for picking Howard off the bench to shoot technical free throws after Michael Carter-Williams was ejected. There were four minutes left, and Charlotte was up by 22 points. The Wizards weren’t coming back, and the Hornets’ starters were done for the night. But whatever, Howard made them both!

Just an amazing sequence.

Please love your teeth dearly, because apparently if you fall on them they can get dislocated, and that sounds like the most grotesque thing possible.

Hornets 133, Wizards 109 (At the Hive recap | Bullets Forever recap)

Hawks 94, Pelicans 93 (Peachtree Hoops recap | The Bird Writes recap)

Spurs 100, Nets 95 (Pounding the Rock recap | Nets Daily recap)

Raptors 96, Pistons 91 (Raptors HQ recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)

Warriors 119, Bulls 112 (Golden State of Mind recap | Blog a Bull recap)

Grizzlies 105, Knicks 99 (Grizzly Bear Blues recap | Posting & Toasting recap)

Heat 106, Bucks 101 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Brew Hoop recap)

Thunder 114, Lakers 90 (Welcome to Loud City recap | Silver Screen & Roll recap)

Jazz 120, Kings 105 (SLC Dunk recap | Sactown Royalty recap)

Clippers 109, Nuggets 104 (Clips Nation recap | Denver Stiffs recap)