New Orleans needed this. After losing three straight close games that dropped them noticeably in the Western Conference playoff chase, the Pelicans weren’t in a must-win situation Friday, but it was pretty close. Fortunately for New Orleans, the hosts found a way to get back in the win column, holding off Miami’s fourth-quarter surge. As a result of eighth-place Memphis’ simultaneous loss Friday at Dallas, the Pelicans reversed a recent trend in the standings, cutting their deficit on the Grizzlies to four games.
Although New Orleans players and coaches at times have publicly downplayed the focus on the pursuit of the West’s No. 8 seed, guard Jrue Holiday acknowledged after Friday’s win that it is still at the forefront of discussion within the locker room.
“Who’s not thinking about it?” Holiday responded when asked about the postseason race. “We had a conversation about it today. I think everybody knows where we stand, what we have to do to get in the playoffs. We play two teams that are ahead of us in the standings and we have to take that seriously. This team, I feel like we come in professional every single day, try to lock in and get wins.”
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Derrick Favors contested Bam Adebayo’s driving floater and came up with the defensive rebound, leading to New Orleans running valuable time off the game clock, leading by five. Lonzo Ball split the free throws for a 106-100 lead at 0:16. Holiday and Josh Hart tacked on free throws to seal it. Brandon Ingram made a vital three-pointer under two minutes to make it 105-100.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
It had been a rough week for the New Orleans bench in losses to Minnesota and Dallas, but the reserves were much better Friday, led by a very valuable performance from Hart. The third-year wing helped set the tone for the Pelicans in the first half with his usual blend of hard-nosed hustle and energy. He finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, going 6/12 from the field. Hart coincidentally was celebrating his 25th birthday.
“It was perfect,” Hart said of the night. “I was just happy to with the win. Us getting it, especially against a team like that, was perfect.”
“He has a knack for where the ball is going to be,” Ingram said of the dozen rebounds from Hart, a three-year teammate. “He just does his job and is effective on the court every time he steps on it.”
BY THE NUMBERS
9/33: Miami three-point shooting, representing a below average night for the Heat and an excellent one defensively for the Pelicans. Duncan Robinson accounted for eight of those Miami makes in his 14 attempts.
#FANFRIDAY
Every game is crucial at this stage for New Orleans – as Alvin Gentry said prior to Friday night’s contest, “we have 20 playoff games remaining.” That means the team’s upcoming four-game road trip against Western Conference hosts will be filled with important matchups. By the time the Pelicans return from the excursion, they will only have a total of 15 regular season games left on the 82-game schedule. With that said, Friday’s fan poll question was “Which game are you most looking forward to on New Orleans’ upcoming road trip that begins this weekend?” The finale of the trip received the most votes, with the March 14 tilt at the Clippers garnering 35 percent. Runner-up was Wednesday’s game at Sacramento (30 percent); entering Friday, the Pelicans and Kings were only separated by one game in the standings.
