One team looked a lot like the one that had gelled into a cohesive unit by the time the NBA season was halted in March. The other bore zero resemblance to the squad that is currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Facing an undermanned Brooklyn club decimated by injuries and other absences, New Orleans rolled to a Wednesday scrimmage rout, building a 21-point halftime lead behind some crisp basketball. The Pelicans shot 10/20 from three-point range prior to intermission and committed just three turnovers. New Orleans had five players muster double-digit points, despite the game only being 40 minutes in duration.