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Pelicans break Summer League curse with win over Hornets
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- Pelicans break Summer League curse with win over Hornets
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Las Vegas punishes many wide-eyed and hopeful travelers, but Sin City has been especially unforgiving for the New Orleans Pelicans . The house always wins in the end, but on occasion, mercy is granted to those who continue to try their luck at the table. Staring at another loss in The Entertainment Capital of the World, the Pels rallied late and earned a 95-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets .
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This Saturday evening triumph marked the team's first Vegas Summer League victory since 2023, per ClutchPoints' own Brett Siegel. New Orleans head coach Jamahl Mosley is hoping to revive this struggling franchise , and although he is not manning the sidelines during this exhibition series (God Shammgod has it covered), perhaps change is already taking shape.
Former Michigan and Kansas star center Hunter Dickinson gave the Pelicans their first lead of the contest after drilling a 3-pointer with 49 seconds remaining, erasing what was once an 18-point deficit. He finished with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting in 26 minutes, doing his best to convince the organization that he deserves to play more than five games next season.
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Fourth-year guard and former Dickinson teammate Kobe Bufkin was also impressive, posting 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block. Undrafted forward Jalon Moore added 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting to go with four boards and three steals. New Orleans buckled down defensively after finding itself in a big hole, as the Hornets committed a whopping 22 turnovers.
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Summer League glory obviously carries little weight once the regular season starts, but fans should be pleased to know that misery does not follow this squad everywhere it goes. Fresh off breaking the curse, the Pelicans will battle the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
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