NBA scores 2015: Pelicans ruin Goran Dragic’s Heat debut but lose Anthony Davis

Even a blowout win came with a price.

by Tim Cato

Feb 22, 2015, 2:00 PM UTC

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

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NBA schedule and results: Anthony Davis re-injures shoulder, Thunder win without Kevin Durant

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It’s been a tough year of basketball in New Orleans -- even on nights when the Pelicans win by 14.

The Pelicans spoiled Goran Dragic’s Miami debut on Saturday with a 105-91 win, leading by double figures for the entirety of the second half, but any game where Anthony Davis leaves with an injury feels like a loss.

With about three minutes left in the first quarter, Davis tried to power up through Hassan Whiteside and immediately grimaced in pain. He did not return and the injury was ruled a re-aggravation of a previous shoulder problem that already caused him to miss two games earlier in the month and confined him to a suit for the NBA All Star Game.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, a minute into the second quarter, Ryan Anderson went up for a rebound and came back down in a heap, clutching his right knee. He needed help leaving the floor and was also ruled out for the game. Both will undergo further evaluation on Sunday. Suddenly, a scheduled day of recovery from a trip through Florida turns into a nervous waiting game.

But this has been the story of the Pelicans all season. Jrue Holiday is currently out and won’t return for several more weeks. Eric Gordon, who led the team in scoring with 24 including a 16-point third quarter, has only played 33 games this year.

Even with the injuries, New Orleans could easily be a playoff team right now in an easier division, not to mention the Eastern Conference. But no, they’re stuck in the NBA’s best. A whopping 16 games per season against Memphis, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio is no joke.

New Orleans will spend Sunday morning hoping for the best from their two key players. Anderson’s an important bench piece, but of course Davis is the heart and soul of the team and a worthy MVP candidate.

If the Pelicans could just get their whole team together for a month, just a month, who knows what they might be able to do. This season just hasn’t been that kind.

3 other things we learned

So, about the Goran Dragic debut. It was uneventful and Dragic finished with 12 points on just 4-of-11 shooting, but like so many other players on new teams, he just looked like a guy who needed some time to adjust. As mentioned, the Heat lost big, but it’s very possible they had other things on their minds. The official news that Chris Bosh will miss the rest of the season came out earlier in the day and that’s a tough blow both on the basketball court and in the locker room for Miami. It’s a shame Dragic won’t get to run pick-and-rolls with Bosh this season, but in the larger scheme, he looked fine and should soon adjust better to his new role.

The new-look Suns fall short against Chicago. Brandon Knight played his first game in Phoenix, but couldn’t help his new team execute down the stretch in a 112-107 loss. Home of the trade deadline’s biggest shape up, the Suns looked sharp for much of the game, although there were a few moments of visible awkwardness when Knight and Bledsoe shared the court that should be expected after a big move. But, both guards finished with strong lines -- it was Markieff Morris’ 3-of-15 shooting dud that really cost the Suns down the stretch.

Russell Westbrook puts up another insane stat line. Ho hum. At this point, Westbrook’s line of 33 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds doesn’t even cause a batted eye. Without Kevin Durant, who missed a game with a sore foot, Westbrook took on the all-too-familiar role of doing everything for the Thunder. It’s not always the prettiest way for the Thunder to do business -- Westbrook took 27 shots and committed six turnovers -- but it worked, with the Thunder winning for the seventh time in their last eight games.

Play of the Night

Although this segment is usually filled with feats of athleticism, let’s appreciate a simpler play this time. J.J. Redick is not gifted with feats (or feet) of athleticism, but he does the little things so well. The pass fake to move one defender. The swim through move to avoid another. The cognition to keep running straight to the corner because he’d have an open shot. The execution of turning and setting his body for an easy catch-and-shoot jumper.

Good, solid fundamentals are always the play of the night in Redick’s book.