With the absence of star guard Damian Lillard, New Orleans finally managed to package back-to-back wins on top of a 115-104 victory over the undermanned Portland Trail Blazers – dampening the season debut of 16-time NBA all-star Carmelo Anthony.
Portland held on to a narrow lead throughout the majority of the first half. The Pelicans remained competitive despite shooting under 40 percent from the field and just over 35 percent behind the arc across the first two quarters. Eight Pels turnovers compared to just 10 assists didn’t work in their favor, either.