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The 2023-24 NBA season’s playoff races are coming down to the wire but thanks to some help the New Orleans Pelicans are back in sixth place in the Western Conference. The franchise’s most outspoken leaders claim the locker room is not worried about any other games on the NBA docket on any given night. No, this team is focusing on playing up to their standards, not scoreboard-watching hoping to be bailed out by other organizations.
Green’s Pelicans have been frustrated lately. The goodwill and momentum of a 3-1 road trip was erased by a 1-5 homestand which pushed the team back into the NBA Play-In Tournament. Zion Williamson’s All-NBA feats, despite a sore finger, could not stop the Pelicans from tumbling down the national media’s contender to pretender charts.
Still, Green was only focused on the Trail Blazers before tipping off the NBA’s late game on Tuesday.
“For us right now it’s concentrate on Portland. We will try and keep it simple as that,” Green explained pregame. “I’m sure the human nature is to take a peek and see where things are. Guys watch the games but our mindset has to be one game at a time…These games are always tough, always difficult. You have to resist playing down to your competition.”
CJ McCollum’s return to the Pacific Northwest was a great outcome for everyone in the Rose City all things considered. Struggling Scoot Henderson’s history-making night with a franchise rookie record of 15 assists is a feel-good story for the Trail Blazers. The Pelicans looked back on track, winning back-to-back games for the first time since March 24’s road win over the Detroit Pistons followed a win in Miami.
And the scoreboard produced results largely in favor of New Orleans. The Phoenix Suns lost, dropping them to seventh. The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers also lost, giving New Orleans a bit of separation in the race for a top-six spot.
Pelicans joyfully playing on the same page
Trey Murphy III could not help but smile victoriously in the postgame on-court interview with Jen Hale.
“All I care about is Pelicans right now. As long as we take care of our business, we’ll be just fine,” Murphy III boasted. “We have a never-die, never-quit attitude. Recently we’ve been having a lot more joy even in practice. I think that really helped us during that losing streak. Continuing to have joy knowing it can turn around at any time.”
Joy. It’s a term this team throws around like lob passes to Zion Williamson and it’s no accident. Joy is one of Green’s cultural bedrocks. A locker room without joy is no team at all, and there is no chance of winning a series (or four) in the NBA Playoffs without playing as a team.
That’s Green’s message to the Pelicans going into the last three games fully in control of their postseason fate.
“It’s having perspective. We had that tough stretch at home where we had some losses. Just evaluating our team, my message to them was perspective. This is NBA adversity. Let’s not make this heavier than it needs to be. It’s basketball, so let’s go out and play with joy. Let’s compete. Let’s have fun. Let’s share the ball. Shoot the ball when you’re open. The team has responded. We want to pile up as many wins as we can over the last three (games).”
More must-reads:
- Rich Paul details Suns' 'catastrophe' following their playoff elimination
- Clippers make key decision regarding Kawhi Leonard's status
- The 'Most points in a playoff game by team' quiz
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