Originally appeared in CrescentCitySports.com, 3/6/2020
Though the temperatures outside were a little chilly, the New Orleans Pelicans were inside the Smoothie King Center trying to do something that all New Orleanians can relate to…beat the Heat.
The Pelicans and Miami Heat entered the night with their all-time series tied at 19 wins apiece. However, Miami had taken three of the last four meetings between the two, and six of the last nine.
Returning home on a three-game losing streak and finding their playoff hopes dwindling, New Orleans found a way to pull out a 110-104 victory.
Jrue Holiday had 20 points, Josh Hart bounced back from a tough week with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball continued his run of strong performances with 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
The Pelicans nearly squandered a 19-point lead, but were able to do something that they haven’t done very often this season; come through in the clutch.
After misfiring for most of the game, Brandon Ingram came up big late. The All-Star hit a jumper to put New Orleans up 102-99, and followed that with a three-pointer to extend the Pelicans’ advantage to five with just over 90 seconds to play.
“It was just a blessing,” said Ingram. “I feel like I went zero-for-20 and knocked down those last two crucial shots, and my teammates found me on the wing and Zion [Williamson] set a good screen to get me to a good spot. This was a gift from my teammates and a gift from God.”
Considering the team’s play as of late, many fans would agree.
From there the Pels were able to close it out from the free throw line.
“Anytime you play Miami you are going to have to grind it out,” said Alvin Gentry after the game. “They are not just going to lay down and die. They made a run at us and the big thing for us is we found a way to hang on and win the game. That was the most important thing I thought.”
Any wins are important at this stage of the season. The Pelicans need to win 15 of their final 20 games just to get to .500, let alone secure a playoff berth.
This game was also decided by the defense, and the Pelicans showed up on that end. Miami shot 43 percent from the field and turned it over 15 times. The Heat were anything but “en fuego” from deep, making only nine of 33 three-pointers.
The Pelicans held a team to 110 points or less for the 20th time this season. In those games they are 14-6, including wins over Portland (2), Denver (2), Boston, Indiana, and now Miami.
Though Zion Williamson’s re-entry had supplied plenty of highlights, the Pelicans were just 8-9 with him in the lineup coming into the game.
Williamson wasn’t the focal point of the offense Friday night, but he was his typically efficient self, scoring 17 points on nine attempts. His 13-game streak of scoring at least 20 points did come to an end, but snapping the three game losing streak was more important.
“It feels good,” said Hart. “I’ve gone three games losing, so it felt good to get a win, especially against a team like that and especially since we are about to go on a three or four game road trip. So it felt good to get that win and keep going forward.”
With Miami having its defense focus on denying Williamson touches, his teammates were given plenty of opportunities to take advantage. And they did.
“I think we just look for opportunities,” said Holiday. “I think we saw that, especially last game and the game before, they’re going to collapse on him. He’s a beast under there. Really just to be in his vision so he can make those kick-outs, make those cuts to the basket to try to get to a space he can throw it to. I think we are starting to figure it out.”
There isn’t a lot of time left to figure it out for this season, with just 19 games left on the schedule, and the Pelicans still four games behind the Memphis Grizzlies in the standings.
It’s still an uphill climb for the Pelicans, and now they head out on a road trip that could tell the story of this season. New Orleans will face Minnesota, Sacramento, Utah, and the Los Angeles Clippers over the next eight days.
New Orleans is 4-5 against those teams this season. Frankly, anything less than a 3-1 mark would probably end realistic hopes for a postseason appearance.
But for one more day at least, the flame still flickers. Let’s see if the Pelicans can catch fire.