Halo

Breathe deep and exhale, New Orleans Pelicans fans.

Anthony Davis, who exited the team's 112-94 blowout victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, is just fine. The big man left with a right knee injury after diving into the stands for a loose ball, but he came back during the fourth quarter to finish with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks.

Per the team's official PR feed, his malady is nothing more than a contusion, offering hope he could be on the floor Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves to complete the pre-Thanksgiving back-to-back:



Even while playing without its star, New Orleans' lead hovered around 30 points for much of the night. And that, in addition to Davis' avoidance of a major injury, is reason for optimism by the bayou.

After all, the Hawks entered the contest ranked No. 3 in NBA Math's team rating, playing well enough to rank in the 95th percentile among all historical squads. Sustainable or not, they were no mere pushover.

Heading into the Tuesday night affair, the Pelicans were already headed in the right direction. They had won four of their last six games, including an overtime victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. After starting the year 0-8, this was the fourth time they knocked off a presumptive playoff squad, and the performance caused their net rating to continue trending up after it bottomed out early in the year:



Whether this streak is legitimate shouldn't be the question yet. We can worry about that later.

After their putrid start, the Pelicans desperately needed to create some positive momentum. They needed to imbue the organization with optimism, proving this team wasn't just a collection of overpaid scrubs placed around Davis and dooming him to squandered years.

That's exactly what they're now doing.

Davis is still Davis, of course. Heading into this injury-shortened outing, he was averaging a league-best 31.7 points to go along with 11.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 steals and an NBA-leading 3.0 blocks. As if that's not enough, he was shooting 50.3 percent from the field and keeping his turnovers in check.

Even before leaving for the locker room on Tuesday night, he created a lasting memory:



But Davis seems to have help now.

For starters, Jrue Holiday is back and making an immediate impact. The point guard missed the campaign's opening salvo for reasons far more important than basketball: His wife was recovering from brain surgery and giving birth to their first child.

During his first two appearances, Holiday helped the Pelicans post a 19.4 net rating with him on the floor—far better than the minus-6.8 without him. His presence was positive yet again against the Hawks, as he came off the bench to finish with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Though Tim Frazier did a solid job holding down the fort in Holiday's absence (and performed admirably on Tuesday by tying his career high with 21 points and chipping in 14 dimes), everybody looks far more confident playing with the former All-Star. He's a superior talent in all facets of the game, and his return should give the other Pelicans a feeling of comfort.

As Oliver Maroney wrote for Basketball Insiders, Holiday allows others to fill their natural roles:

One of the most underrated team characteristics in the NBA is knowing your role and creating an atmosphere where players feel comfortable. Guys like Tim Frazier, Langston Galloway, Terrence Jones and E'Twaun Moore were having to step up and take some of the offensive burdens off of Anthony Davis, something they didn't look comfortable doing. This is when you start to see hesitant shots, bad body language and laziness on defense. But now, with Holiday back, they can feel more comfortable in their roles. This, in turn, creates a confident team, which we've seen glimpses of over the last few games.

There were more glimpses at Atlanta's expense.



E'Twaun Moore knocked down six of his 11 attempts from the field—including three triples—to finish with 15 points. Dante Cunningham, Solomon Hill and Langston Galloway all had solid, efficient showings. And Terrence Jones continued looking like a breakout candidate.

Just take a peek at the power forward's last five outings:



It was always going to get better for the Pelicans after their 0-8 start, but few could have expected this much, this fast. A 5-10 start is much more palatable, leaving hope alive that New Orleans could somehow crawl back into the Western Conference playoff picture.

Davis is still dominant, looking every bit the part of an MVP candidate as he labors away on both ends. Holiday's presence has instantly invigorated the team. And the squad appears to be playing with more confidence, allowing for belief that Davis' supporting cast might provide, well, support.

Optimism has finally arrived in New Orleans.



Unicorns and Roses



Even with Carmelo Anthony throwing up plenty of bricks during a 7-of-22 shooting performance, the New York Knicks were able to stave off the Portland Trail Blazers, earning a 107-103 victory that pushes their record back to .500.

Plenty of players chipped in, but the stars were obvious: Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis.

The former often looked like he was turning back the clock, recording 18 points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block while turning the ball over just once and shooting 8-of-15 from the field. Even though Rip City dared him to fire away from downtown, he never took the bait, instead attacking the hoop and thrilling Madison Square Garden attendees with some spectacular finishes:



But even that wasn't his biggest moment.

Rose sealed the win for the Knicks on a step-back jumper over Maurice Harkless with just 6.8 seconds remaining. Ice may still flow through his veins every once in a while:



That may be the lasting story of the night—Rose reminding the Knicks faithful of his pre-injury form on more than a few occasions. But he also had some shaky moments on the defensive end, and a few of his acrobatic attempts either missed or barely fell in. He wasn't New York's most impressive player, even if he was pretty darn good.

Porzingis earns that honor.

The 7-footer continued to show off a dizzying array of talents en route to his 31 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one block. He knocked down three triples and even posterized Mason Plumlee on a left-handed drive and off-hand finish:



How many players are capable of making contributions in both of those areas? There may be a handful of bigs scattered throughout the NBA who can punish the rim off the bounce and simultaneously space the floor, but Porzingis is still just 21 years old and has plenty of room for further growth.

"He's got an incredible touch," Dirk Nowitzki said about him last week, per ESPN.com's Ian Begley. "He can move. He can dribble. He can put it on the floor more now. He is going to be a great player in this league for a long, long time."

He already is great, and this was only the latest example. Brandon Jennings may have to recalibrate his already lofty expectations, pushing them even higher:





Nuggets Depth Coming Through



Jimmy Butler was unstoppable yet again, exploding for 35 points on 20 shots from the field. But it wasn't enough at elevation, and the Denver Nuggets escaped with a 110-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls to finish their four-game homestand with a 3-1 record.

Though Danilo Gallinari and Jusuf Nurkic had solid performances in the starting lineup, this was all about the bench—a bench that outscored Chicago's 61-13.

Depth has been the obvious strength of the Nuggets throughout the early portion of 2016-17. Even with injuries plaguing the wing rotation and Darrell Arthur missing time, youngsters such as Jamal Murray and Juancho Hernangomez have played well enough to keep Denver competitive. Perhaps more importantly, head coach Mike Malone hasn't hesitated to deploy his rookies.

"The best way to learn and grow up in the NBA is by experience. That's the mother of all learning," he said before a Nov. 16 showdown with the Phoenix Suns. "Jamal Murray and Juancho Hernangomez, especially, are getting a lot of learning opportunities as of late because of the injuries."

Those opportunities paid off—again—Tuesday night.



Hernangomez struggled on offense but played solid defense, often blending into the background. But Murray, fresh off an 18-point outing against the Utah Jazz, took part in no such blending.

When he wasn't knocking down shots, he displayed constant hustle, affecting the game on the less glamorous end and in transition with his indefatigable play. Yet it was still his shooting that burst to the forefront, especially when he went on this second-quarter scoring binge:



But Murray alone, even with his 24 points, six rebounds and two assists, didn't make the bench excel.

Wilson Chandler (16 points, nine rebounds and three assists) had another big game, though his shot wasn't always on target. Jameer Nelson (10 points, four rebounds and seven assists) was a steady presence whose facilitating work made everything easier for his teammates. Nikola Jokic (eight points, eight rebounds and three assists) continued to do all of the little things well and thrived on the glass.

Late in the first quarter, Denver trailed 31-17. It then stormed into the lead with a 24-0 run.

Of those 24, no Nuggets starter scored a single point. Chandler, Hernangomez (who replaced Gallinari after the run had lasted for just about a minute), Jokic, Murray and Nelson did it all.

Without their efforts, this game wouldn't have been close. It certainly wouldn't have resulted in a much-needed home win for Denver.



Nick Young Gets Swaggy



It's time to give Nick Young some love.

Many had written off the shooting guard after his relationship with former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott led to diminished production and everything boiled over with the D'Angelo Russell videotape fiasco. His 2015-16 campaign in general was miserable, to the point that he fell out of the rotation and finished the year shooting just 33.9 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from beyond the arc.

But under the supervision of new head coach Luke Walton, he's thriving. As Baxter Holmes wrote for ESPN.com, "Young also credits Walton for his individual success, citing the coach's system and ability to relate to players, which is often mentioned as one of Walton's greatest strengths."

According to NBA Math's total points added, Young entered Tuesday night's 111-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on pace to submit the first above-average all-around season of his career:



His score should only go up after he helped take down OKC.

Young finished with 17 points, two rebounds, one assist and two blocks on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and a 4-of-7 showing from downtown. As SB Nation's Drew Garrison noted, he continued to look every bit the three-point marksman he had become before his interactions with Scott:



Of course, no play stood out more than the one that closed the opening half:



Well, that was true until the end, when Young intercepted a pass intended for Lou Williams and drilled the game-winner:



That's the "Swaggy P" we all knew and loved while he was overflowing with confidence. That's the player who stepped onto the court and displayed unmitigated joy when he was shooting the ball—even, in some instances, when the shots didn't drop.

After this latest outing, Young is now averaging 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He's shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from Swaggy range and 93.9 percent from the charity stripe.

It's good to have him back.



Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com or NBA Math and are current heading into games on Nov. 22, and all quotes obtained firsthand.

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