New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the crew throughout a play overview throughout the first half of the basketball recreation towards the Golden State Warriors on the Smoothie King Middle in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Workers Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Occasions-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 time beyond regulation loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was not solely a recreation 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\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 recreation. Jeremiah Fears missed a contested layup with 13.6 seconds left. Minnesota, trailing 129-127, referred to as a timeout with 7 seconds left. Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards drove to the basket for a lay-up to ship the sport to time beyond regulation 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 crew throughout a play overview throughout the first half of the basketball recreation towards the Golden State Warriors on the Smoothie King Middle in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Workers Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Occasions-Picayune)
So its straightforward to grasp why Pelicans\u2019 interim head coach James Borrego used Wednesday\u2019s follow to focus solely on finish of recreation conditions.
\u201c(It\u2019s an) space of \u00a0development,\u201d Borrego mentioned. \u201cYou place your self in these positions and now you\u2019ve bought to shut. We’re on the aim line and we\u2019ve bought to determine how one can 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 follow helped. They get one other shot on the Timberwolves (13-8) Thursday at Smoothie King Middle.
Losses within the clutch function teachable moments for a younger crew, notably rookies like Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears.
\u201cSimply be extra disciplined,\u201d Queen mentioned. \u201cShut out the sport higher. No turnovers. No second probabilities for them. And simply execute.\u201d
Borrego\u2019s Wednesday follow consisted of the crew going by way of numerous finish of recreation eventualities. It ranged from being up by two with 30 seconds left to being down by 2 with 30 seconds left and every little 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 searching for and attempt to replicate it as a lot as attainable. You’ll be able to\u2019t get the strain stage or stress stage that you just\u2019ll get tomorrow evening or in a recreation, however you’ll be able to actually simulate it as a lot as you’ll be able to.\u201d
Borrego focuses on the main points and is all about repetition till the crew will get it proper. Due to the best way the schedule has performed out, this was simply his fourth precise follow with the crew since taking up for Willie Inexperienced. A whole lot of the follow time has centered on what Borrego calls \u201cextra foundational stuff.\u201d
\u201cThis crew has to dominate the margins,\u201d Borrego mentioned. \u201cThat\u2019s the aim proper now.\u201d
The margins are how the crew does after a timeout. And on the finish of quarters and finish of video games.
\u201cThese conditions we wish to dominate,\u201d Borrego mentioned. \u201cIt\u2019s very doable. It\u2019s not rocket science. (It takes) some focus. You\u2019ve bought to provide it consideration. You\u2019ve bought to cope with it. Ensuring guys know the place they have to be. All of it comes all the way down to the main points there. (Wednesday) was most likely probably the most detailed, finish of the sport follow 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 great thing about this crew. No person\u2019s hanging their heads.\u201d
{{description}}
E-mail notifications are solely despatched as soon as a day, and provided that there are new matching objects.
Information Suggestions:
nolanewstips@theadvocate.com<\/a>
Different questions:
subscriberservices@theadvocate.com<\/a>
Need assistance?
Your browser is outdated and probably weak to safety dangers.
We suggest switching to one of many following browsers:<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the crew throughout a play overview throughout the first half of the basketball recreation towards the Golden State Warriors on the Smoothie King Middle in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Workers Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Occasions-Picayune)The New Orleans Pelicans\u2019 movie session Wednesday morning […]<\/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-434966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n