NBA
NEW ORLEANS \u2014 It took more than 12 minutes in real time to sort through the final 1.5 seconds of regulation in Tuesday\u2019s overtime thriller<\/a> between the New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> and the Memphis Grizzlies<\/a>. Ten-year NBA veteran CJ McCollum<\/a> called it \u201cthe most bizarre game I\u2019ve ever been a part of.\u201d
During what seemed like the longest 1.5 seconds in NBA<\/a> history, the Pelicans:
But as the Pelicans spent all that time dealing with a roller coaster of emotions as each of these plays were resolved, they also were forced to confront an uncomfortable recurring theme staring them right in the face: They were on the verge of blowing yet another game they controlled most of the way.
Advertisement
In the end, the Grizzlies, much as they did a week ago on the Pelicans\u2019 home floor in Ja Morant\u2019s return from suspension<\/a>, made enough plays on both ends to escape with a 116-115 win in overtime. The Pelicans have now lost three of their last four outings, with all three defeats coming because they failed to close out winnable games in the fourth quarter.
For once, the fatal flaw with this team hasn\u2019t been injuries or instability within the lineup. It\u2019s been the inability to make the necessary plays at the most critical points of the game.
New Orleans held double-digit leads in the fourth quarter of both games against Memphis before squandering them away. On Tuesday, the Pelicans led by four with less than a minute remaining and still found a way to lose. Their other loss in this stretch against the Houston Rockets<\/a> last Saturday came despite the Pels leading by three with less than four minutes remaining in the game. Overall, the Pels are 0-6 in games decided by three points or fewer, just 5-8 in \u201cclutch\u201d games this season (defined as when the margin is within five points in the final five minutes) and have squandered double-digit leads in eight of their 14 losses.
\u201cWhen the game got tougher, they picked up their level of physicality. They made it difficult on us,\u201d Pelicans coach Willie Green said after Tuesday\u2019s loss. \u201cThis is where we have to grow. We\u2019ve got to learn to get to our spots. Execute with force and pace. Make solid passes. And when we get to the free-throw line, make our free throws.\u201d
Even with some of their inexplicable losses lately, the Pels are still 17-14 through 31 games, only two games worse than where they were at this point last season, when they were seen as one of the league\u2019s feel-good stories. That speaks to the heightened expectations this group carried entering this season.
Advertisement
It also shows how easily the pendulum can swing from euphoria to agony during any given stretch of games. If the Pelicans handled their business to close out their last three losses, they\u2019d have the third-most wins in the Western Conference. The complaints about coaching deficiencies and an absence of closers would be drowned out by optimism.
However, it would be disingenuous to pretend these last three losses are an aberration. New Orleans has looked shaky in late-game situations all season, even when Zion Williamson<\/a>, Brandon Ingram<\/a> and McCollum are in the lineup. When the pressure rises, this group\u2019s lack of experience together \u2014 the big three have only logged 23 games together in nearly two full seasons \u2014 becomes a true deterrent.
It was especially evident in their two losses to Memphis. When things got tight, the Grizzlies, despite Morant\u2019s 25-game absence to start the season, looked like a group with experience in hostile environments and an understanding of how to get the right looks for their three best players (Morant, Jackson and Desmond Bane<\/a>). On the other end, the Pelicans looked hesitant and uncertain as they failed miserably in their attempts to space the floor and make the game easier for one another.
\u201cWe\u2019ve just got to figure it out,\u201d Ingram said after Tuesday\u2019s loss. \u201cFigure out what\u2019s the best shot and what movement we can have on the floor to cause the defense to do something different instead of being stagnant. We\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d
The lack of execution late in games has made a Pelicans squad stacked with entertaining offensive weapons into a team that\u2019s painful to watch in fourth quarters. For the season, they\u2019ve been outscored by 68 points in the game\u2019s final frame, fifth-worst in the NBA. During \u201cclutch\u201d minutes, they possess the league\u2019s third-worst offensive rating, worst turnover percentage and tied for the worst free-throw percentage. Just about everything that can go wrong has gone wrong late in games.
Advertisement
\u201cDown the stretch of the fourth, I think we got a little congested,\u201d McCollum said. \u201c(We shot) tough 2s, not a lot of spacing. We\u2019ve got to do a better job of freeing each other up, setting good screens (and) cutting hard.\u201d
Many of those failures fall at the feet of Ingram, McCollum and Williamson. While each has sprinkled moments of individual brilliance in the season\u2019s first 31 games, they\u2019ve yet to be at their best collectively when the team needs them to be. Ingram and Williamson, for example, have more turnovers than assists in \u201cclutch\u201d minutes. (McCollum has only played in five of the team\u2019s 13 \u201cclutch\u201d games due to his partially collapsed lung injury earlier this season.)
\u201cI guess the spacing a little bit,\u201d Ingram said when asked why the Pelicans have been unable to generate easier looks late in games. \u201cJust being decisive. I think we\u2019ve struggled with being decisive in those moments. Trying to figure out where\u2019s the lane to drive, what\u2019s the shot to take and who should take it. That\u2019s all things that are correctable and controllable that we can go back and talk about.
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to continue to go through this and watch this film and figure out how we can execute late-game and what\u2019s the easiest shot on the basketball floor,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt might not come from me, Z or CJ. But what\u2019s the easiest shot on the floor?\u201d
GO DEEPER
As Pelicans grow and mature, head coach Willie Green will be called on to do the same
Part of the frustration for the players and fans alike is that this group has looked dominant in certain spurts when it all comes together. The problem has been keeping those stretches going for more than a few quarters or even a few games. Consistency will be essential as this group fights to climb the standings in a stacked West.
\u201cWe haven\u2019t found the balance yet. We\u2019ve got to put each other in the position where we can be really, really effective. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve done it yet,\u201d Ingram said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had some success, but it hasn\u2019t been sustainable.\u201d
In the coming days, the Pelicans will be challenged to handle something they\u2019ve already dealt with a few times this season. When a team goes through the same problem repeatedly during a season, thoughts from the media, fans or even certain executives don\u2019t matter. It\u2019s all about the people in those meeting rooms at the practice facility speaking candidly with one another and addressing what\u2019s really behind some of these problems. The Pelicans\u2019 team meeting<\/a> after a four-game losing streak earlier this season led to them playing some of their best basketball in the immediate aftermath.
Advertisement
With the talent New Orleans has assembled, there\u2019s no excuse for this team not to eventually grow into one of the West\u2019s most dangerous playoff teams. But getting ready for those games and that stage requires a certain level of mental fortitude and physical toughness. To feel most comfortable in that physical and mental state, the challenges must come early and often from others on the team.
It will also be important for the team to address some of the behind-the-scenes criticism from teammates and coaches that may come with more exposure and higher expectations. This new high-pressure world is where the Pelicans will reside as long as they can stay (relatively) healthy. Maintaining their spot in it will require the team to set a standard and call out anyone who doesn\u2019t live up to it.
\u201cThe biggest part is having a level of honesty about it,\u201d Green said. \u201cWhy is this happening? Watching film on it. Getting on the floor in practice and working on it. Then, showing up the next day. That\u2019s the goal for us. That\u2019s the deal. Show up the next day (and) own it.\u201d
(Top photo of Zion Williamson: Stephen Lew \/ USA Today)<\/em><\/p>\n