In the most embarrassing display of the season, the Pelicans get beaten by the lowly Timberwolves, losing 132-101

Halfway through the first quarter, the Pelicans had a 20-6 lead over the Timberwolves. Zion Williamson had nine points on a 4-4 shot and the Timberwolves looked disengaged. It felt like New Orleans was on the verge of an easy win, which would be especially helpful on the first night of a back-to-back.

The script couldn’t have changed more abruptly and turned out to be more different.

After building a 26-10 lead with 4:03 left in the first frame, the Timberwolves proceeded to tear down the Pelicans, running a 125-79 run the remainder of the game to win with an easy start.

Horrible basketball. Just a disgusting sight. Pick your choice of negative connotation.

“We didn’t compete tonight,” Stan Van Gundy told post-game media.

This truth also works.

Dropping 135 points at home, the Pelicans have failed to fight professionally in the final three quarters. Minnesota beat New Orleans 40-26 in the second quarter and then followed with a 38-22 Pels drum in the third. Who cares what happened in the fourth because everyone sitting inside the Smoothie King Center stopped caring long before that.

Pelicans had no desire to stop the bleeding. They were punched in the mouth and failed to show the heart to get up. And now, the team sitting in the Western Conference basement is 2-0 on the season against New Orleans.

There is probably no fact more apt to express how disappointing this season has been to date in a nutshell.

An opponent who struggles to pull the three-point shot (34.6 3PT% – 26th entering tonight’s game), made 19 of 40 looks from deep. Wolves tallied 31 points out of 18 Pelican mistakes and were allowed to score too many points in the paint (56) given that 57 points came via the three-ball.

Anthony Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, scored 27 points for Wolves. It is not really unexpected. But what’s concerning is that Jaylen Nowell led the Wolves with 28 points off the Minnesota bench and fellow reserve Jaden McDaniels also torched the Pelicans’ defense for 20 points.

This, in a game where Karl-Anthony Towns was held to 16 points on a 7-19 shot thanks to solid individual defense from Steven Adams.

After the Timberwolves decided to start playing in earnest, there was no resistance from the Pelicans. Not at all. The pelicans retreated as quickly as a lounge chair.

Speaking on behalf of all who live and support NBA basketball in this region, tonight’s performance was totally unacceptable. After an All-Star break where the players’ batteries should have been recharged, with this game being played at home, against one of the worst teams in the league? Yeah, that can’t happen.

Who else is tired of seeing this team hit a new low after a new low this season?

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