Zion Williamson Continues Hot Streak, but Timberwolves Beat Pelicans

The Minnesota Timberwolves delivered a massive setback to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, defeating the playoff hopefuls 139-134 on the road at Smoothie King Center.

Instead of jumping the Portland Trail Blazers for ninth place in the Western Conference and putting itself three games back of the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans dropped back to 12th place, four games behind the Grizzlies with 21 games to play in the NBA.

Both Memphis and Portland were off Tuesday.

While the Pelicans have now dropped three of their last four games thanks to two matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers last week, Tuesday was their first time losing to a team under .500 since falling to the San Antonio Spurs 121-117 on January 22.

Minnesota, meanwhile, picked up its third victory since January 10 and snapped a two-game slide in the process.

Notable Performers

• D'Angelo Russell, SG, Timberwolves: 23 points, eight assists, three rebounds
• Malik Beasley, SG, Timberwolves: 28 points, four assists, three rebounds
• Zion Williamson, SF, Pelicans: 25 points, eight rebounds, four steals
• Jrue Holiday, SG, Pelicans: 27 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds

Pelicans Miss "Golden Opportunity"

There was no yelling from the New Orleans coaching staff in the locker room after Tuesday's loss. No one kicked over garbage cans or broke dry-erase boards, though it would have been more than acceptable.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry summed up why afterward, telling reporters the team knows it let a "golden opportunity slip away."

There was no easier matchup left on New Orleans' schedule than the two against the Timberwolves. With the way things have aligned themselves in the playoff race, those were absolute must-wins. There will be plenty to point to if the Pelicans don't make the postseason for sure, yet Tuesday night might be the biggest target.

After taking a 12-point lead midway through the second, it appeared as if this one was meant to be a runaway. Instead, New Orleans eased up and allowed a Timberwolves team that's been lethargic for most of the year to creep back in. By the time the team had tried to turn up its energy again, it was too late.

Gentry said players knew just how bad they messed this one up. There was no need to rip into them.

"I think we got seduced into trying to play a certain way," Gentry told reporters. "And that wasn't going to win the game."

Lonzo Ball summed it up even more succinctly.

"Today was a must-win," Ball said. "Now we just have to make it up."

There just aren't as many opportunities to do so as the team would like.

Timberwolves Find Answer for Zion

It took until the fourth quarter, but Minnesota head coach Ryan Saunders figured it out. There have only been a few teams who have managed to make Zion Williamson fade when the game is on the line. The Timberwolves can now add their names to that list.

All it took Tuesday was switching to zone on defense and getting his players to buy-in.

For most of the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves blocked the paint and made the Pelicans shoot from behind the arc. Which should have been dangerous, considering New Orleans ranks third in the league in three-point percentage (37.3 percent). Instead, the Pels fell completely out of rhythm.

New Orleans shot 2-of-11 from behind the arc in the fourth as Minnesota protected the ball well enough to escape with a win.

It wasn't just that Minnesota was forcing the Pelicans to take the shots it wanted them to. The Timberwolves even forced New Orleans to toss up off-balance corner threes. The Pelicans had little chance to rebound with the Timberwolves clogging the paint.

Minnesota stuck to the zone late regardless of whether Williamson was on the floor. Even when he eventually broke the coverage, it didn't last for long.

This is exactly the type of buy-in, to say nothing of the type of win, Saunders and the team have needed of late. As this season becomes one to forget, Tuesday night offered a glimpse of what could develop.

What's Next?

New Orleans travels to Dallas to face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Wednesday in what's expected to be Williamson's first time playing both ends of a back-to-back. The Timberwolves finish off their own back-to-back Wednesday night in Minnesota against the Chicago Bulls in a contest that kicks off a three-game homestand.