Rondo’s hot hand, New Orleans’ eventual loss encapsulates all aspects of the Pelicans

By Collin Huguley

In the New Orleans Pelicans’ last game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 5, a handful of plays in the second quarter, and the context of those moments, help describe the team as a whole.

In the second quarter of the Pelicans’ 133–109 loss to the Jazz, New Orleans point guard Rajon Rondo caught a hot hand. Rondo hit four 3-pointers in the final 2:37 of the second quarter. Rondo shoots just 35.1 percent from 3-point range on the season and 30.9 percent from deep in his career, according to Basketball Reference.

The fact that Rondo hit a few perimeter shots may not seem significant but when looking back at the sequence, but it could represent more than one might initially suspect. The Pelicans rank fourth in the NBA in scoring offense and can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways, even if it comes from Rondo hitting a barrage of unlikely 3-pointers.

But the fact that the Pelicans still lost the game, especially in blowout fashion, shows the team’s flaws.

The team ranks 29th in scoring defense and gave up an absurd 133 points to the Jazz. This was despite the efforts of Rondo, who finished with 18 points — well above his average of 7.2 points per game. Rondo’s four 3-pointers was still not enough to allow the Pelicans to take a lead in the game because of the hole the team’s defense had dug.