Big Picture

A slightly more healthy Pelicans went into Los Angeles and scored a definitive win against the Clippers on Sunday afternoon. New Orleans had the edge in all of the major data categories (except blocks and fouls) coming out of their 112-91 victory. Let’s dig into the data for a bit more of the story.

Scoring Summary

The Clippers outscored the Pelicans in the 1st quarter, 25-18. But after that slow start Nw Orleans dominated in overall scoring. The team hasn’t got back to some of the higher scoring total we saw earlier on in the season but downslide has leveled off.

Edge Summary

Pelicans’ Overall Advantage in Scoring

The Pelicans had the edge in field goal efficiency, 49%-42%. They took more field goal shots and also made ten more than the Clippers.

New Orleans had a better outing in the area of three-pointers. They shot 42% compared with the Clippers’ 28% three-pointer percentage. The Pels fell slightly behind when it came to three-pointers attempted but came out on top in terms of total made.

The Pelicans narrowly edged out the Clippers in free throw efficiency, 63%-62%. Los Angeles had more free throw opportunities, though, and made more in total. The sample size was smaller but this was the worst game for New Orleans in terms of free throw efficiency.

Rebounding and Blocks

The Pelicans had the edge in rebounding but fell behind in blocks by a wide margin. New Orleans accounted for 56% (50) of the game’s total rebounds. Los Angeles wracked up 86% (6) of the game’s 8 total blocks.

The Pelicans are trending back upwards in terms of rebounding.

Assists and Steals

New Orleans claimed the advantage in both assists and steals. They accounted for 57% (32) of the game’s total assists and 75% (9) of the game’s total steals.

Fouling

The Pels were’ able to get back on the right side of the foul equation this game. They equally shared the game’s 30 total called fouls and hit close to a season low.

Turnovers

New Orleans also took the overall edge in the turnover category. The Pelicans took better care of the ball and accounted for only 46% (13) of the game’s total turnovers. New Orleans also accounted for 57% (21) of the game’s points coming from turnovers.

Final Thoughts

It was a nice win for the Pelicans and when you put it next to a Saints’ shutout victory, a really good sports weekend for New Orleans and Louisiana.

So far, the Pelicans are 4-2 on the season and facing the Lakers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.