Pelicans emphasize finish of sport conditions after loss to Timberwolves – NOLA.com

New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the staff throughout a play evaluation through the first half of the basketball sport in opposition to the Golden State Warriors on the Smoothie King Heart in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Workers Picture by David Grunfeld, The Instances-Picayune)
The New Orleans Pelicans’ movie session Wednesday morning was the nineteenth one this season that got here after a loss.
This one was maybe the hardest one to look at.
Lots of the different 18 losses have been blowouts or video games that have been determined by the point the top of the fourth quarter got here round.
Tuesday’s additional time loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was not solely a sport the Pelicans may have gained, but it surely was one they need to have gained.
The Pels led 129-125 when Jose Alvarado rebounded a missed shot by Minnesota’s Donte DiVinceno with simply 46.4 seconds remaining. However Alvarado turned the ball over, resulting in a Timberwolves’ basket to make it a 2-point sport. Jeremiah Fears missed a contested layup with 13.6 seconds left. Minnesota, trailing 129-127, known as a timeout with 7 seconds left. Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards drove to the basket for a lay-up to ship the sport to additional time and Minnesota pulled away. The Pelicans had a foul to present on the Edwards drive, however didn’t use it.
New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the staff throughout a play evaluation through the first half of the basketball sport in opposition to the Golden State Warriors on the Smoothie King Heart in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Workers Picture by David Grunfeld, The Instances-Picayune)
So its straightforward to know why Pelicans’ interim head coach James Borrego used Wednesday’s observe to focus solely on finish of sport conditions.
“(It’s an) space of  progress,” Borrego stated. “You set your self in these positions and now you’ve bought to shut. We’re on the objective line and we’ve bought to determine find out how to shut. It’s maturity. It is execution. It’s poise. It’s confidence.”
The Pelicans (3-19) don’t have to attend lengthy to see if the observe helped. They get one other shot on the Timberwolves (13-8) Thursday at Smoothie King Heart.
Losses within the clutch function teachable moments for a younger staff, notably rookies like Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears.
“Simply be extra disciplined,” Queen stated. “Shut out the sport higher. No turnovers. No second probabilities for them. And simply execute.”
Borrego’s Wednesday observe consisted of the staff going by means of varied finish of sport situations. It ranged from being up by two with 30 seconds left to being down by 2 with 30 seconds left and all the pieces in between.
“Do it till you want what you see,” Borrego stated. “Make sure that we’re all speaking about it what we’re on the lookout for and attempt to replicate it as a lot as potential. You possibly can’t get the stress degree or stress degree that you just’ll get tomorrow night time or in a sport, however you may actually simulate it as a lot as you may.”
Borrego focuses on the main points and is all about repetition till the staff will get it proper. Due to the best way the schedule has performed out, this was simply his fourth precise observe with the staff since taking up for Willie Inexperienced. A number of the observe time has centered on what Borrego calls “extra foundational stuff.”
“This staff has to dominate the margins,” Borrego stated. “That’s the objective proper now.”
The margins are how the staff does after a timeout. And on the finish of quarters and finish of video games.
“These conditions we need to dominate,” Borrego stated. “It’s very doable. It’s not rocket science. (It takes) some focus. You’ve bought to present it consideration. You’ve bought to take care of it. Ensuring guys know the place they must be. All of it comes right down to the main points there. (Wednesday) was in all probability essentially the most detailed, finish of the sport observe I’ve had shortly. It’s been a minute. It felt good. We felt the ache of final night time. We owned it. That’s the fantastic thing about this staff. No person’s hanging their heads.”
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