Pelicans Lose to Lakers, Fall Short of Summer League Title Shot - Sports Illustrated

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The New Orleans Pelicans fell short of an NBA Summer League title shot in the 102-94 loss versus the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans was shorthanded going into the game. 2022 NBA Draft Picks Dyson Daniels (ankle), E.J. Liddell (knee), and Karlo Matkovic (hand) were on the injury report while the playoff-tested veterans (Trey Murphy III, Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado) were given the rest of the week off.

Las Vegas standout Daeqwon Plowden (ankle) did not suit up, leaving coach Jarron Collins with only nine active players. Still, the summer Pelicans almost pulled out a win. New Orleans could not hit the late shots to hold on to an early 27-19 lead.

Jared Harper constantly pressured the paint to finish with 20 points, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. Harper made 32 of his 41 free throw attempts in the first four games of the Las Vegas slate and is the frontrunner for the team's Summer League MVP. The two-time All-G-League selection kept the team focused and the ball moving in what can be a stagnant summer setting.

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Harper's Birmingham Squadron teammate John Petty Jr. had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists to help keep the game close. Deividas Sirvydis (17 points, 8 rebounds) was again on target from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of 7 three-pointers.

Tyrique Jones (11 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 stead) had an efficient double-double and stayed out of foul trouble while protecting the paint. John Butler Jr. added 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks but missed a trio of three-point shots from the stretch-4 power forward spot.

Dereon Seabron is still getting comfortable finding his spot and shooting over NBA length. The two-way player has one more chance to impress when New Orleans closes out their Summer League account against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, July 17. The opening tip is scheduled for 5 PM CST on NBA TV.