Pelicans at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets dropped back-to-back games after taking nine of 10 and are trying to find the positives while dealing with a recent batch of injuries. The Nets will look for more key contributions up and down the roster when they open 2019 by hosting the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Brooklyn turned some heads while knocking off the likes of Toronto and Philadelphia during its recent run but could not find the energy with a depleted rotation and dropped both ends of a road back-to-back at Charlotte and Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday. The Nets get three full days off to rest the likes of Allen Crabbe (knee) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (groin) and play at home on Wednesday before stepping out for a three-game trip that includes another road back-to-back at Chicago and Boston next week. The Pelicans managed to earn a win despite being without superstar forward Anthony Davis, who sat out a 123-114 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday with an illness and is day-to-day. "When Anthony's playing, we look for him a lot and try to have him bail us out," New Orleans point guard Jrue Holiday told reporters. "I think today we did a great job of playing even (in terms of shot distribution). Julius (Randle) played great minutes, (Jahlil Okafor) played great minutes. Everybody was a part of this win."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (17-21): Randle stepped up with 33 points and 11 rebounds in Davis' absence on Monday, but the New Orleans offense also benefited from the return of point guard Elfrid Payton. Payton sat out the previous 22 games with a broken finger on his left hand and contributed nine points and six assists in 24 minutes against Minnesota. "I think the way he pushes the pace and gets to the basket," Holiday told reporters of Payton's return. "I don't think he finished as well as he wanted to, but to be able to get there and make plays out of that was huge for us. Obviously, he had a lot of energy in his first game back in a long time. It was fun to have him out there."
ABOUT THE NETS (17-21): Getting a chance to shine in Milwaukee on Saturday was reserve point guard Shabazz Napier, who matched his career high with 32 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 33 minutes while handing out a team-high seven assists. Reserve forward Kenneth Faried made the best use of an increase in playing time as well and collected season highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds in the 129-115 setback. "You understand sometimes that it may not be your number that the coach calls," Napier told reporters. "I understood that. I know how to play. Faried, coming from the Denver Nuggets, he knows he knows how to play. At the end of the day, you've just got to be professional about it. If your number is called, you be ready. If it doesn't get called, you support."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets PG Spencer Dinwiddie totaled 13 points in the last two games after averaging 24.4 over the previous 10 contests.
2. Pelicans SF Darius Miller scored a season-high 21 points and went 5-of-8 from 3-point range in Monday's win.
3. New Orleans knocked off Brooklyn 117-115 at home on Oct. 26 behind 26 points from Holiday.