Collects three steals in loss McCollum finished with 23 points (6-21 FG, 2-11 3Pt, 9-10 FT), seven assists, five rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes Friday in the Pelicans' 123-110 loss to the Magic. Impact The three thefts tied a season high for McCollum and were two shy of his combined total in his previous seven games combined, but the defensive production and strong showing from the free-throw line were about the only highlights of the 31-year-old's stat line. After converting at a 50.5 percent clip from the field over his past five games, regression set back in for McCollum, who couldn't get it going from either two-point range or downtown. Though he's averaging a career-high 5.8 assists per game in his role as the Pelicans' full-time point guard, his overall efficiency has predictably trended down in his first full season without playing alongside Damian Lillard. His 53.9 true shooting percentage for the season represents his lowest mark since the 2017-18 campaign.
JANUARY 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
