Manhandled in Sacramento, the Pelicans emerge stronger from their victory

This is what is called a fire re-entry. Malik Monk has only been on the floor for a few seconds when he is sent to the “alley-oop” on the counter-attack. On the next possession, the Kings guard sends a missile from a big meter behind the 3-point line. He does the same on the following attack and thus gives his team a 15-point lead (32-17).

Stunned, the Pelicans? While Sacramento has just converted 12 of its first 14 shots, the visitors, led by Brandon Ingram, will react very strongly to come back to a small point at the end of the first quarter. Before continuing their efforts in the second, on the basis of a 28-5 in their favor, to give themselves more than 10 points in advance. A lead maintained until the end.

“ The most important thing I saw in this match was confidence. Our guys stuck together, they stuck together when it came time to come together, and they continued to do the right thing, over and over and over again. When you see a team make 29 assists for just 14 turnovers, that's a team that continues to have confidence. We want to continue building on this foundation “, Willie Green is satisfied who, like Mike Brown, has reduced his rotations.

Brandon Ingram at the meeting

Rotations limited to eight players, worthy of a playoff match. Which clearly reflects the level of commitment of these two teams who were aiming to qualify for the Final Four in Las Vegas. In summary, a match that makes sense, no matter what it is, we want to win. That's our feeling in this locker room. »

The Pelicans coach still speaks of a “ high intensity match. It's nice to participate. Guys enjoy these kinds of moments. It's an experience for us, more than anything. We can draw on those experiences when we get to the final stretch, when we face adversity, that kind of thing. We love these moments. »

One of his players particularly likes this type of meeting, Brandon Ingram. With his 30 points, he tied for top scorer of the match with De'Aaron Fox. “ He was incredible. He put us on his shoulders and carried us. He hit big shot after big shot. Every time we needed a big shot, we put the ball in his hands. He is a major event player », defines the coach.

A “little” Zion Williamson

But the winger was not the only one to respond. Herb Jones, Jonas Valanciunas, CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III all scored 16 or more points. While Zion Williamson finished with a modest total of 10 points, his lowest career total while playing at least 25 minutes.

“ With the shooters we added, it definitely takes some pressure off me. I didn't play very well, but we still led by 13 points at the end of the match. It shows how involved everyone is. The coach always talks about staying ready. Our guys stayed ready », describes the interior.

By winning eight of their last twelve games, the Pelicans are a reminder that they can get closer to the top when they are healthy. “ This team can be so awesome. We have a lot of potential, but we have a lot of progress to make. Overall, we can do something really special if everyone stays focused. We can do something really special », repeats the same Zion Williamson.