The New Orleans Pelicans will become the first NBA team this season to face the Cleveland Cavaliers after a loss when they meet on Wednesday night.
The Cavaliers, who set a franchise record with 15 consecutive wins to start the season, were handed their first defeat by the Boston Celtics in a 120-117 thriller on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Pelicans were soundly beaten by the Dallas Mavericks, 132-91, the same evening.
Cleveland, just the fourth team in NBA history to start a season with 15 straight victories, trailed the defending champion Celtics by as many as 21 points before rallying to within two points in the third quarter. Ultimately, the Cavaliers couldn’t complete the comeback.
Evan Mobley led Cleveland with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, but the team’s second-leading scorer, Darius Garland, struggled with just eight points on 3-for-21 shooting, missing all six of his three-point attempts.
Boston took control by outscoring Cleveland 39-28 in the second quarter, building a 65-48 halftime lead, and never relinquishing it despite Cleveland’s efforts to close the gap.
Similarly, the Pelicans had a tough start on Tuesday, falling behind 44-29 after the first quarter and never recovering, leading to their eighth loss in nine games. They allowed the Mavericks to score at least 34 points in three different quarters.
Trey Murphy III scored a season-high 19 points, and Brandon Ingram added 17 for the Pelicans, who shot 39.7 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers.
Wednesday’s game will conclude the season series, just two weeks after the Cavaliers achieved a 9-0 start for the first time in franchise history with a 131-122 win in New Orleans. In that game, Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and four other Cavaliers reached double figures in a well-rounded offensive display.
For the Pelicans, Zion Williamson scored 29 points, and Jose Alvarado added 27, but both players have since been sidelined due to injuries. They join Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, and Jordan Hawkins on the injury list.
