Facing a team that had yet to record a loss on their home floor in February was always going to make for tough sledding. In the first half, the Pelicans largely stayed toe-to-toe with the Spurs, putting forth the necessary effort to perhaps steal a victory. During the third quarter, they showed excellent resiliency. However, just as it's the case with any other middling team, their performance wavered, which happened to come in the fourth quarter, and the Spurs pounced.
The Pelicans started the game on fire, building a 17-10 lead more than midway through the first quarter.