Yves Missi is showing plenty of promise even if the team he plays for isn’t.
The New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie center had a career night in Atlanta on Monday.
But the results were still the same.
Another city. Another loss.
The Pelicans’ losing streak reached nine with a 124-112 loss to the Hawks.
One day after a 33-point blowout road loss to the New York Knicks, the Pelicans (4-18) fell again and now have lost 15 of their last 16 games.
“Much better than what we saw against New York,” said Pelicans’ coach Willie Green. “A lot of carry over from our film today. I give our guys credit. They went out with the right intentions, played hard and competed their tails off. Once again, just coming up short and not able to finish four quarters.”
CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 29 points. Missi scored a career-high 21 points, surpassing the 17 points he scored against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 11. The first round draft pick from Baylor also grabbed 10 rebounds to record his fifth double-double of the season.
“He’s just getting better and better,” Green said about Missi. “A true bright spot for our team.”
There haven’t been many for the Pelicans, swept by the Hawks this season after losing 126-111 in New Orleans in early November.
It was the 11th straight road loss for the Pelicans, whose only win away from the Smoothie King Center came against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second game of the season.
Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray, acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Hawks, made his return to State Farm Arena to face the team he played with the past two seasons. Murray finished with seven points, 10 assists, five rebounds and five steals, but he was held scoreless in the second half.
Murray’s return wasn’t the only homecoming for the Pelicans. Brandon Boston, who is from Norcross right outside of Atlanta, came off the bench and scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half.
After the loss to the Knicks on Sunday, Green talked about the team’s need to play with more confidence. It did so for a little more than three quarters before the Hawks pulled away late. Atlanta outscored the Pels 74-54 in the paint.
“Too many paint touches, too many drive attacks,” Green said. “That’s where we have to be better. Keeping them out of the paint and keeping them off the offensive glass. But overall, I thought our guys brought it tonight but we just didn’t have enough to sustain it.”
Former Pelicans wing player Dyson Daniels, a part of the Murray trade, scored 19 points for the Hawks (11-11).
The Pelicans’ last win came on Nov. 15 when they beat Denver in the Smoothie King Center on a night when the Nuggets were without three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.
It was the Pelicans’ fifth straight game without Brandon Ingram, who was listed as questionable earlier Monday with calf soreness.
The team could be getting Herb Jones back soon. Jones, who hasn’t played since Oct. 29 after suffering a shoulder injury, was upgraded to “doubtful” for Monday’s game, a sign that he’s getting closer to returning.
The Pelicans begin a two-game home stand Thursday when they host the Phoenix Suns, followed by a Saturday game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
