James Borrego was relieved to finally get a win as New Orleans Pelicans interim coach.
The Pelicans had dropped their first five games since Borrego took over after Willie Green was fired Nov. 15.
The skid ended Monday night with [a 143-130 victory over the Chicago Bulls](https://www.nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/03830281-d00c-42b1-b1ac-0aa3cf7effe4/) at Smoothie King Center.
“It’s hard to get a win in this league,” Borrego said afterward.
It's even harder when you don’t have your best defensive player, which was the case as Herb Jones missed his second straight game with at least a few more absences on the way.
Jones, a first-team all-defensive team selection two seasons ago, was diagnosed with a mild right calf strain Monday and will be re-evaluated in a week. The game before that, he sat out with back spasms.
Jones is having a down year offensively, averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. But it’s what he brings on the other end of the court that makes things more challenging when he’s not in the lineup.
“To put out fires everywhere?” Borrego asked rhetorically about not having his defensive stopper. “It’s tough. It’s tough on your defense. But somebody else has to step into that role. That’s the goal here. Guys like (Micah) Peavy and Bryce (McGowens) and Saddiq (Bey) have to step into that defensive mindset. That’s the beauty with this thing. Next man up. Go compete.”
All three delivered in Monday's win.
Bey (20 points, 13 rebounds), who made his ninth start of the season, recorded his second straight double-double.
On a night when the entire lineup produced — eight of the nine players who played scored in double figures — guys off the bench such as Peavy and McGowens made sure to make an impact, too. Peavy finished with a team-high four steals to go with his 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. McGowens had a season-high 11 points, three rebounds and two assists.
“It feels like every time we put (Bryce) on the floor, he’s responded,” Borrego said. “I can’t think of one game when he wasn’t ready for the moment. Peavy was massive again tonight. Those two kids deserve a lot of credit. We don’t get this done without them. We need that, especially with Herb out.”
Peavy, drafted in the second round, relishes the moments he gets to play the role Jones has mastered.
“That’s what I want to do,” Peavy said. “Herb is a great defender. And I want to be known as a great defender in this league. I take on that challenge of guarding the best player, especially when Herb's out. I think I’m doing a pretty good job.”
The Pelicans (3-15) host the Memphis Grizzlies (6-12) on Wednesday. The Pels will try to avenge a 128-122 loss to the Grizzlies in the season opener, but they will be without Jones again.
But Borrego is starting to see that he has some other players who can help put out those fires.
“They are watching a great example in Herb Jones,” Borrego said. “Hopefully for the rest of Micah’s career, he can look back and say, ‘Man, I learned from one of the greatest and I want to be that and that’s going to be my role.'
"We are going to miss Herb tremendously until he’s back. Until then, these other guys will have to hold the fort down and I expect them to. That’s the goal. I expect them to step up, especially on the defensive end. We are putting a lot of time and effort into focusing on that end of the floor. Those guys are more than capable of doing it.”