Willie Green had compared this double confrontation to a mini series of playoffs, where adjustments are necessary between one and the other meeting. After a first victory against the Suns on Friday, the Pelicans chained a second time last night against their executioners in the last playoffs.
“ I thought the last two games were high level. This team opposite is a good team. I know all these guys, I know what they are. They play hard, they are well trained, disciplined. Getting them on our pitch and winning those two games is huge for our franchise. », Willie Green Formula.
A week ago, the Suns occupied first place in their conference, ahead of the Nuggets and then the Pelicans. With a four-game losing streak underway, Monty Williams’ men were pushed back to fourth place, where NOLA cemented their number one spot with those two landmark wins.
” We’re #1 in the West. I know for a lot of people it’s not important because it’s still early in the season, but it’s important for us to be there in the standings. We not only want to keep this place but also rely on it to build “Shows Zion Williamson, 35 points in both games.
The Pelicans tank recalls that the Suns today have a “CV” provided, in particular because of their participation in the 2021 NBA Finals. For us, to have two wins in a row against them is huge for our confidence. » « It’s a team we’re trying to reach the level of. Did they go to the final? We try to overtake them so it’s very positive to gauge ourselves against them “, completes Larry Nance Jr.
“We don’t need to play our best basketball today”
A confidence also embodied by this beautiful series of seven consecutive victories, the longest in progress in the league, and these 12 victories in their last 14 meetings. As a good veteran, CJ McCollum notes, however, that he and his teammates must stay in the present moment.
” As a 31-year-old player, I realize the importance of this kind of game but also how completely different the season will be in January when we will have a lot of away games. And then there’s the All-Star Game cut and we’ll have to prepare for the playoffs, which is a different kind of basketball. For me, it’s about moving forward. Our way of ending last season was good but not good enough, so how do we learn from that? asks the leader.
According to him, all the lights are in any case green at the moment. ” But it’s not always like that, and it won’t always be like that. We have to work in good or bad times. »
Same tone for their coach: “ First, we are extremely privileged to be in this position and to have the group that we have. But we are aware that we haven’t won anything yet, that’s our state of mind. We want to focus on the small victories. Guys are good at remembering that it’s a long season and we don’t need to play our best basketball today, but in March, April, May and June. »
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Zion Williamson | 20 | 32.3 | 60.5 | 27.3 | 72.3 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 7.2 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 24.5 |
| Brandon Ingram | 15 | 32.1 | 47.2 | 46.7 | 86.8 | 0.5 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 20.8 |
| Cj Mccollum | 21 | 34.4 | 39.5 | 32.1 | 82.5 | 0.9 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 17.0 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | 25 | 23.5 | 52.7 | 36.6 | 84.0 | 2.6 | 6.6 | 9.2 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 13.4 |
| Trey Murphy III | 23 | 28.6 | 47.4 | 40.6 | 95.5 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 13.0 |
| Herb Jones | 17 | 28.1 | 44.4 | 28.6 | 74.1 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 10.6 |
| jose alvarado | 25 | 21.3 | 46.9 | 40.2 | 81.3 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 10.0 |
| Larry Nance, Jr. | 23 | 22.6 | 65.5 | 42.1 | 75.9 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 9.2 |
| Naji Marshall | 23 | 21.2 | 44.1 | 35.5 | 79.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 7.6 |
| Devonte Graham | 25 | 15.9 | 36.5 | 38.1 | 80.8 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 5.7 |
| Dyson Daniels | 17 | 19.1 | 50.0 | 37.5 | 64.7 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 5.3 |
| Willy Hernangomez | 10 | 9.9 | 48.6 | 0.0 | 81.8 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 5.2 |
| Garrett Temple | 9 | 7.8 | 40.9 | 38.5 | 75.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 9 | 7.5 | 18.8 | 0.0 | 57.1 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Dereon Seabron | 2 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
