PORTLAND – Over the first 23 games of the 2015-16 regular season, New Orleans has played much better in the first three quarters of contests than in the final period. As a result, the Pelicans rank third from the bottom of the NBA in two critical offensive categories – turnovers and field-goal percentage –according to Alvin Gentry. Saturday’s defeat at Chicago was a case in point, with the Pelicans (6-17) turning a six-point lead entering the final quarter into a 98-94 defeat to the Bulls. Chicago quickly erased its hole by forcing empty New Orleans possessions and draining three straight three-pointers to open the fourth.
Pelicans trying to improve late-game execution on offense
