Less than an hour before tip-off, the Pelicans announced Jrue Holiday would miss the game with a left toe injury (supposedly due to a large blister). That left New Orleans with just 8 able-bodied players on the roster, the minimum for an NBA game.
Surprisingly, the contest was competitive throughout, as the Pelicans never trailed by a margin greater than twelve points, and with 1:03 remaining, they were only down by just four points. Unfortunately, New Orleans didn't possess enough firepower to pull out the victory.
The Pelicans offense revolved around Alexis Ajinca early and then a combination of Alonzo Gee and Tim Frazier late.