NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Brooklyn Nets' win over the New Orleans Pelicans

Brooklyn Nets impressed upon the home crowd, the hopes of a possible playoff run this year, as they withstood Davis' monstrous return to the lineup and came through with a discernible 126-121 victory at home. The result has punched utter frustration into the minds of everyone concerned with the New Orleans Pelicans at the moment, be it players, coaches, or the front office.

AD and company have now lost seven of their last ten games while contrastingly, the Nets have now triumphed in seven of their previous ten clashes. The Pelicans lost five straight games about a week ago, and in a Conference like the West, that is suicide. They hold a miserable 17-22(0.436) record after the loss and at the moment, the only team that's worse than them on the West Standings are the lowly Phoenix Suns.

Also, they fall to 4-16 on the road, with seven of the next ten games scheduled to be played on the road.

On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets are the newest surging force behind the Rockets in the Western Conference. They conjured a seven-game winning streak not so long ago and have managed to win at regular intervals, taking their record to 18-21(0.462) on the season.

Let's draw out some key takeaways from this frustrating loss to the plummeting New Orleans Pelicans.

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#1 Anthony Davis' monster double-double could not see his team through

Anthony Davis is averaging a double-double for the sixth consecutive season.

Although all five Pelicans starters ended up scoring in double digits, Anthony Davis's team-high 34 points and career-high 26 rebounds were something worth applauding. He shot 12-of-25 from the floor, making 8 of his 9 free-throws. He also chipped in on the defensive end with a steal and three blocks.

"Man, when you got a guy like Anthony Davis down there, it's tough for us on the defensive end, it's tough for us on the offensive end," Nets' De'Angelo Russell admitted.

AD has been averaging 28.7 points and 13.4 rebounds per game this season, both of which are career-highs, but his stellar numbers are not translating into wins for his team.

"The frustration is just that we're a better team than what the records show. Everyone's frustrated. We just gotta do better. We just can't feel sorry about ourselves", confessed AD after the game.

#2 Seven players on the Nets' lineup scored in double-digits, led by Russell's 22

Nets' guard Allen Crabbe has been sidelined for weeks after tests on his ailing right knee.

Despite playing without injured Caris LeVert, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe, the Nets showed extreme poise and maturity against a team led by a generational talent. Russell finished with a team-high total of 22 points along with 13 assists while Joe Harris contributed with 21 on the night.

Jarrett Allen came up with another highlight block at the apex, this time adding Anthony Davis to his list which already houses LeBron, Griffin, and Giannis. He finished with 10 points and 11 boards of his own.

Three of the Nets' reserves ended up scoring in double digits. Carroll, Napier and Dinwiddie finished with 19, 12 and 18 points respectively. Brooklyn's bench heavily outscored New Orleans' reserves, 55-5, as Darius Miller was the only Pelicans reserve to play more than 10 minutes.

#3 Both teams shot above 50% from the field in the high-scoring game

The Nets produced a 73-point first half.

A total of 247 points were scored when the Pelicans clashed with the Nets, and in the process, Brooklyn shot 47-of-93(50.5%) while New Orleans dropped 46-of-87(52.9%) from the field.

The Nets opened up a 24-point lead while they were busy putting together the highest-scoring first half at home in 17 years.

Buckets were pouring in from downtown as well as when the hosts made 16-of-31 bringing their conversion from deep to an impressive 50.5%. The Pelicans eventually lost, but their long-range did not disappoint either, as the team finished 10-of-23, good enough for 43.5% from deep on the night.

As underrated as it might sound, the Nets are shooting 36.4% from downtown, which is currently top 10 in the league while the Pelicans' FG conversion of 47.7% is among the top 5.