The first week of the 2020-21 NBA regular season has featured some head-scratching final scores, including a handful of stunningly lopsided outcomes that mostly defy explanation. New Orleans was on the wrong end of one of those Tuesday.
In front of a national TV audience, Phoenix was a step ahead of the Pelicans for much of the Western Conference matchup, building a lead of 30-plus points early in the second half and rolling to a victory. Nearly everything went wrong for New Orleans after a competitive first quarter that Phoenix won by a narrow 31-29 margin. The Pelicans struggled across the board offensively, making only one three-pointer in the first half and also misfiring at the foul line.