The good, the bad and the Lonzo Ball

The New Orleans Pelicans barely led on Tuesday as they were blown out by the Utah Jazz, 118-102.

New Orleans stayed within single digits for much of the first half and led at times but a huge third quarter from the Jazz that saw them outscore the Pelicans 36-20 blew the game wide open.

Utah’s lead peaked at 25 points early in the fourth quarter and, save for a brief run from the Pelicans that trimmed the lead down to 14 points, New Orleans never was in the game in the final frame.

Zion Williamson scored 32 points and Brandon Ingram finished with 17 points. No other Pelican reached double digits. Utah was paced by Donovan Mitchell’s 28 points.

The Good: Full strength

There wasn’t a ton positive about Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Jazz but seeing the Pelicans back to full strength. With Lonzo Ball returning to the lineup, New Orleans saw its starting lineup back together for the first time since playing Charlotte on Jan. 8. Ball struggled – more to come on that – but the Pelicans were down three starters last week against the Clippers so to have the team back together is a bonus. Honorable Mentions: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Utah’s 3-point shooting

The Bad: 3-point shooting

The Pelicans have a 3-point shooting problem. It’s not a new problem but it’s a glaring one. On Tuesday, the team finished 6-of-26 from the field, or 23.1%. That figure is obviously a low mark but the team was shooting 33.4% from range before Tuesday’s performance. JJ Redick’s struggles have been well-documented but Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Nicolo Melli have all struggled mightily from range. Maybe it’s a matter of swapping out players or improving the ones they have, but the Pelicans’ struggles from range aren’t getting any better. Honorable mentions: Third quarter

The Lonzo Ball: A rough return

Expectedly, Lonzo Ball’s first game in 10 days was a rough one. Ball finished the night 3-of-10 from the field and 0-for-6 from the arc for seven points. He added four assists, three steals and one rebound. While no official number was given, Ball only played 23 minutes which is well below the 33.4 he was averaging this season pre-injury. It’ll be a process to ramp him back up but seeing him back on the court was a positive for the Pelicans.

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