Grizzlies Claw Past Pelicans in Overtime Nail-Biter at Smoothie King Center
The New Orleans Pelicans, with a record of 18-14, faced off against the Memphis Grizzlies, standing at 10-21. In a game that pushed beyond regulation time, the final score read 116-115 in favor of the visiting team.
At the Smoothie King Center, fans witnessed an intense battle as both teams fought valiantly through four quarters and into overtime. The Pelicans showcased their resilience throughout the game. Despite trailing early with only 19 points to the Grizzlies' 24 in the first quarter, they bounced back to lead by halftime with a combined score of 48 points after adding an impressive 29 points in the second quarter.
The home team continued their offensive push post-halftime by adding another substantial tally of 32 points in the third quarter. However, consistency was key for Memphis as they matched each play and ended up scoring an equalizing total of 36 points in the fourth quarter to send it into overtime.
The Pelicans' bench made significant contributions totaling a notable 31 bench points. They also dominated second-chance opportunities by capitalizing on them with high efficiency for a total of 19 second-chance points from just twelve attempts. Their efforts were further bolstered by their ability to draw fouls and convert free throws at a rate of approximately two-thirds success.
Defensively, New Orleans managed six blocks and outrebounded their opponents with a total rebound count of 63 compared to Memphis's tally which stood at an even sixty rebounds. The defensive effort was further highlighted by twelve steals over the course of play.
Despite these efforts and leading for nearly thirty-two minutes during regulation time – achieving their biggest lead at fifteen – it wasn't enough to secure victory against Memphis who managed seventeen blocks and ten steals themselves while maintaining possession for over sixteen minutes when leading.
As both teams exhausted all but one timeout each during this closely contested match-up that saw ten ties and nine lead changes; ultimately it was Memphis who edged out New Orleans after securing thirteen additional points during overtime compared to twelve from NOP.
Looking ahead, fans can mark their calendars for December twenty-eighth when The New Orleans Pelicans will take on Utah Jazz right here at Smoothie King Center once again. Scheduled for seven PM local time (Central Time), supporters can catch all live action on BSNO or follow along if away via KJZZ network broadcasts.