The most frustrating aspect of the New Orleans Pelicans season through the first 33 games has been the glaring absence of defensive resistance.
The San Antonio Spurs entered Saturday’s contest with a below average offense, sitting in the bottom third of the league (109.1 ORTG — 22nd), but they managed to consistently score efficiently in beating the Pelicans 117-114 without several key rotations pieces (Derrick White, Rudy Gay, Keldon Johnson).
While the defense mildly improved in the second half, holding San Antonio to 50 points, New Orleans’ offense sputtered at the most inconvenient time.