Minneapolis Oct. 26 (BUS): Brandon Ingram scored 27 points, Jonas Valanciunas scored 22 points and had a career high and 23 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans ended their opening three-game losing streak with a 107-98 victory over. the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night.
Defonte Graham added 21 points for New Orleans, which was again without injured star Zion Williamson. Nickel Alexander Walker scored 17 points for the Pelicans, who had a 21-to-4 lead late in the third quarter.
“Finally to get one win, it’s refreshing,” said New Orleans coach Willie Green, who took his first win as a head coach in the NBA. “You understand really quickly how hard it is to win this league.”
Minnesota halted their two-game winning streak as their offensive failed to find rhythm until Anthony Edwards got on the offensive and the crowd went with 21 points from 28 in third place, the Associated Press reports.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points and had 14 rebounds, and Patrick Beverly added 13 points from the bench.
“I felt, for the most part, that our preparation was, kind of, disrespectful to the game,” Beverly said. “It comes with time. You don’t respect the game and the game will come back and get you, and that happened tonight.”
A game after tying a franchise record to 30 turns, New Orleans synced early, using the extra pass to continue their attack. The Pelicans made eight assists as a team in their first nine baskets.
The Pelicans finished the first quarter with a 10-2 lead for control, and extended the round to 22-5 early in a second. The lead swelled to 21 points before Edwards intervened.
“When you have 30 turns in a match, it’s hard to beat anyone,” Graham said. “Take care of the ball. Seventeen (turnover) is still a lot, but this is a good defensive team. We just stuck with it.”
A lot of bullets were built in New Orleans with Towns on the bench.
After a foul in the first game between the two teams on Saturday, Towns was called up for an early technical foul. Soon after, he was called up for an illegal screen that sent him off the bench with two misses. Coach Chris Finch made a technical mistake to bolster his position.
Even with Towns on the field, Minnesota’s offense was largely reduced to quick three-pointers and singles possessions with the Pelicans dominating the boards.
New Orleans outperformed the Wolves by 60-41.
Edwards, the electrified second-year goalkeeper, was suspended for two first-half points with two free throws. Edwards and D’Angelo Russell were a combined 1 for 14 in the inning, while Minnesota shot 6 of 24 (25%) from long distance.
“I think we take a lot of possessions that don’t need a bullet, including me,” Townes said. “Forced. It is disappointing. We understand the scale of this game. We understood what the opponent would carry. But we did not attend it.”
Ingram finished the game with 18 points in the second half, including a major immersion in the transition that helped halt Minnesota’s momentum.
It takes some time
Part of his best performance of his football career, Valanciunas also had nine offensive rebounds. He played 39:19 and ended up taking a timeout at four to get some rest.
“I had several conversations with him and said, ‘We’re just going to ride you, big buddy,'” said Greene. “He actually called for a timeout on his own because he was so tired. I just looked at him, and I said, “Just sit all three minutes and get back on the floor, we have to finish the game.” But he’s a warrior.”
DUG SO DEEP
Edwards’ running helped Minnesota get back into the game, but the early deficit was too great.
Edwards hit 3 with an 8:33 left in the third to net his first field goal and quickly added a layover in a transitional phase to provide a much-needed shake for Wolves. His resounding plunge over New Orleans forward Trey Murphy III brought the crowd to their feet.
Hints
Pelicans: Josh Hart missed his second game in a row with his right quadriceps. Round two rookie Herbert Jones made his second straight start and was goalless. …Williamson had a broken right foot, and Daulton Hommes was inactive with a right fibula ache. …New Orleans finished with 20 spins, resulting in 23 points for Minnesota.
Timberwolves: With Russell moving to 1 of 8 from the 3-point range, Minnesota finished 15 of 50 (30%) from outside the arc. Russell finished with nine points in a 3-of-14 shot. …Wolves shot 34.4% (31 to 90) from the field.
the following
The Pelicans: Coming home after a three-game road trip to face Atlanta on Wednesday.
Timberwolves: Fly to Milwaukee for their first road game of the season on Wednesday.