WATCH: Pelicans reach new franchise record after dropping 153 points to beat the Jazz

Before Tuesday night, the Pelicans’ previous record for most points in a game was 149 in a triumph over the Sacramento Kings back in October 2018. Now, the bar in New Orleans is even higher as the squad beat Utah 153-124 at their own Smoothie King Center.

Inspired by CJ McCollum‘s season-high 33 points, after shooting 9 of 13 from beyond the arc, plus Zion Williamson‘s 17 points and career-high 11 assists, the Louisiana franchise set a new record for the club. Also, they also surpassed the team’s mark in other stats, as they recorded 41 assists on 60 made field goals.

“It was just an incredible performance by the guys in that locker room, sharing the basketball, rebounding,” coach Willie Green said in excitement. “CJ ignited the whole group. He got us going early. It’s extremely gratifying to see the team buy into what we’re trying to accomplish. It’s great for them to continue to trust that if the shots are open for us, we’re going to take them.”

CJ McCollum was SCORCHING in the Pelicans' win over the Jazz 🔥

33 PTS
9 3PM
5 REB
64% FG pic.twitter.com/pGCAAEhkkK

— NBA (@NBA) January 24, 2024

New Orleans seemed to change their strategy this time around, giving Zion more time on the ball than we’ve grown accustomed to. Even though this is a role usually taken over by teammate Brandon Ingram, Williamson proved his playmaking skills are elite after handing out 11 assists throughout the match.

“It’s just the coaches and my teammates trusting me to be ‘Point Zion’ throughout most of the game to get a feel for the game and where my teammates are going to be,” said the All-Star forward. “The coaches asked, ‘What is your mindset at the beginning of a game?’ and it was to get the lay of the land. The coaches told me I needed to be more aggressive at the start of the game.”

McCollum, on the other hand, appreciated the fact that the team was given three-full days of rest before coming into this match in Louisiana. Once the game was over and he’d achieve his season-high scoring, he joked on the importance of giving NBA players more time to recover between games.

“The NBA should give us three days in between games more often,” he said with a laugh.

Utah coach Will Hardy believes his team didn’t play hard enough and suffers from mental fatigue

After losing to the Pelicans by a 29-point margin this Tuesday, for Jazz tactician Will Hardy there’s no way around it. He’s convinced that not getting back on defense is purely about effort, and his squad wasn’t playing hard enough.

“The reality of tonight’s game and the reality of the last three games … is we’re just not playing hard enough,” the Utah head coach expressed. “They had 65 points between second chance and transition, and to give up 35 points in transition on a night where we only had eight turnovers is not very good.”

However, the trainer had another thought on his mind he simply couldn’t erase. According to Hardy, the action-packed NBA schedule is not only physically demanding, but also dangerous with mental fatigue.

“The initial part of the season has passed, everybody’s a little bit banged up, rumors start to swirl in the media about what’s going to happen with the team and the trade deadline and everything, everyone’s names are being thrown around,” the Jazz coach said. “Your mind can drift this time of year. I’m always going to try to be very aware of the fact that these guys are human beings and those things are natural.”