New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the group throughout a play evaluate in the course of 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 Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Instances-Picayune)
The New Orleans Pelicans\u2019 movie session Wednesday morning was the nineteenth one this season that got here after a loss.
This one was maybe the hardest one to observe.
Most of the different 18 losses had been blowouts or video games that had been determined by the point the tip of the fourth quarter got here round.
Tuesday\u2019s additional time loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was not solely a sport the Pelicans might have gained, however it was one they need to have gained.
The Pels led 129-125 when Jose Alvarado rebounded a missed shot by Minnesota\u2019s Donte DiVinceno with simply 46.4 seconds remaining. However Alvarado turned the ball over, resulting in a Timberwolves\u2019 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 provide on the Edwards drive, however didn\u2019t use it.
New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the group throughout a play evaluate in the course of 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 Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Instances-Picayune)
So its straightforward to know why Pelicans\u2019 interim head coach James Borrego used Wednesday\u2019s apply to focus solely on finish of sport conditions.
\u201c(It\u2019s an) space of \u00a0progress,\u201d Borrego mentioned. \u201cYou place your self in these positions and now you\u2019ve obtained to shut. We’re on the aim line and we\u2019ve obtained to determine learn how to shut. It\u2019s maturity. It is execution. It\u2019s poise. It\u2019s confidence.\u201d
The Pelicans (3-19) don\u2019t have to attend lengthy to see if the apply 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 group, notably rookies like Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears.
\u201cSimply be extra disciplined,\u201d Queen mentioned. \u201cShut out the sport higher. No turnovers. No second possibilities for them. And simply execute.\u201d
Borrego\u2019s Wednesday apply consisted of the group going by means of numerous 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 every thing in between.
\u201cDo it till you want what you see,\u201d Borrego mentioned. \u201cBe certain we’re all speaking about it what we’re in search of and attempt to replicate it as a lot as doable. You’ll be able to\u2019t get the strain degree or stress degree that you simply\u2019ll get tomorrow evening or in a sport, however you possibly can definitely simulate it as a lot as you possibly can.\u201d
Borrego focuses on the small print and is all about repetition till the group will get it proper. Due to the way in which the schedule has performed out, this was simply his fourth precise apply with the group since taking up for Willie Inexperienced. Plenty of the apply time has targeted on what Borrego calls \u201cextra foundational stuff.\u201d
\u201cThis group has to dominate the margins,\u201d Borrego mentioned. \u201cThat\u2019s the aim proper now.\u201d
The margins are how the group does after a timeout. And on the finish of quarters and finish of video games.
\u201cThese conditions we need to dominate,\u201d Borrego mentioned. \u201cIt\u2019s very doable. It\u2019s not rocket science. (It takes) some focus. You\u2019ve obtained to provide it consideration. You\u2019ve obtained to cope with it. Ensuring guys know the place they must be. All of it comes all the way down to the small print there. (Wednesday) was most likely essentially the most detailed, finish of the sport apply I\u2019ve had shortly. It\u2019s been a minute. It felt good. We felt the ache of final evening. We owned it. That\u2019s the fantastic thing about this group. No one\u2019s hanging their heads.\u201d
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New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the group throughout a play evaluate in the course of 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 Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Instances-Picayune)The New Orleans […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-434958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n