Nets at Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans look to remain unbeaten when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. New Orleans averaged an NBA-best 132 points during its first three games and will try to keep the offense moving against a Brooklyn team that held Cleveland to 86 in Wednesday's victory.
New Orleans recorded a season low for points in Tuesday's 116-109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers and went 6-for-24 from 3-point range after being a combined 26-of-56 from long range over its first two games. "We know that it's not going to fall as much as we like every night," star big man Anthony Davis told reporters. "But during the game where you have to go and rely on defense, we were able to do that." The Nets rolled to a 102-86 win over the Cavaliers and they turned the game into the blowout by making 16-of-22 shots in the third quarter, when they outscored Cleveland 38-17. "Just by moving the basketball, we went from getting good shots to great shots," forward Joe Harris told reporters. "As long as you're doing that, the shots are going to start falling. We're trying to build on games like this. Hopefully, we can keep it going."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FS New Orleans
ABOUT THE NETS (2-2): Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made his season debut against Cleveland and contributed eight points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes. Hollis-Jefferson suffered an adductor strain in early August and missed the preseason and the season opener before missing the following two games due to the birth of his son. "My energy level was good," Hollis-Jefferson told reporters after the victory over the Cavaliers. "Defensively, making the simple plays. Just being smart and conscious. Your rhythm offensively may not be there. You may miss some shots. But just keep playing, keep rebounding, keep playing defense."
ABOUT THE PELICANS (3-0): Davis is averaging 30.3 points and 13 rebounds and forward Nikola Mirotic is averaging 28 points to lead an attack that features six double-digit scorers. “It speaks a lot for the talent on this team," point guard Elfrid Payton told reporters. "It makes it hard to game plan against us when you have so many guys that can go get 20 points on any given night. It speaks for the talent that we have here.” Mirotic missed all six 3-point attempts in the win over the Clippers after being 11-of-17 over the first two games but still contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Davis averaged 38.5 points and 14 rebounds and the Pelicans averaged 133 points while winning both of last season's meetings.
2. New Orleans F Julius Randle has scored 18 or more points in two of his first three games with the team.
3. Brooklyn SG Caris LeVert scored just 10 points against Cleveland to drop his team-leading average to 21 per game.