On October 30th, the NBA regular season rolled on with the Pelicans suffering a 106-124 loss to the Warriors, who were missing Curry and Wiggins. This defeat came despite the Pelicans once leading by a comfortable 20-point margin. The Pelicans’ performance drew sharp criticism from basketball commentator Charles Barkley, who was providing commentary for the game.
It’s noteworthy that during the first half, the Pelicans were in fine form. Barkley, in his commentary, made what some might call a “jinxed” prediction, stating, “Zion is maintaining his form, which is commendable. They have all the ingredients, but it requires Zion to stay in this form throughout the season. If they stay healthy, this team could be really scary.” Shaquille O’Neal also echoed, “I love the way Zion plays. He’s got spirit, and I was hoping he’d score 38 or 40 points. I’ve been waiting for him to do that.”
However, the Pelicans’ momentum drastically waned in the latter part of the game, allowing the Warriors to stage a remarkable 20-point comeback. Post-game, Barkley didn’t mince his words, calling the Pelicans’ performance “embarrassing.” Zion, despite scoring 31 points, committed 7 turnovers, matching the total number of turnovers for the entire Warriors team.