A 1-12 start. No Zion Williamson all season long. And still, the New Orleans Pelicans are just one win from making the playoffs after beating the San Antonio Spurs last night, 113-103. Brandon Ingram was riding high after the win…
“It shows how far we’ve come,” said Ingram. “Starting off 1-12, and being able to have a chance to make it to the playoffs is a blessing.”
CJ McCollum did his part, scoring a game-high 32 points for the Pelicans. Since his arrival, he has embraced his role as a veteran leader and has embraced the city of New Orleans. He told fans last night that this is just the beginning.
“This is the start of something special for sure,” McCollum said. “You can see the energy, feel the energy, kinda feel the city is starting to be excited about basketball. As they should. There’s a lot of talent here. We’re hungry. We’re playing the game the right way and there’s going to be a lot of winning in our future.”
First-year head coach Willie Green has been the one constant for the Pelicans this season as the team climbed out of the cellar and back into contention. Green says the team showed how much it’s grown with last night’s performance.
“That was playoff atmosphere-type of basketball and we’re proud of our guys,” he said. “They responded, they played hard, they competed for 48 minutes. That’s a tough San Antonio team and that’s a big-time win for our program.”
The Pelicans face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night with the winner taking on top-seeded Phoenix in the Western Conference Playoffs.
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