Incredible ups and downs in Los Angeles with suspense up to the last second! The New Orleans Pelicans secured their final Western Conference playoff ticket with a 105-101 win over the Clippers. LA had to do without the second superstar in Paul George for a short time and turned the game around with a crazy third quarter. But the guests, who now meet the Phoenix Suns, had the last word.
L.A. Clippers (8) – New Orleans Pelicans (9) 101:105 (BOXSCORE)
It was a game of big twists. After the Pelicans had taken their biggest lead of the evening at 45:29 in the first half, the Clippers came back impressively with a 38:18 quarter after the break. But that shouldn’t have been the case for a long time. A 13-point deficit turned the guests around again, the last 10.5 minutes went to the team from Louisiana with 31:14.
Its best scorer was Brandon Ingram, who finished the game with an efficient 30 points (14/21 FG, 6 rebounds and 6 assists). Otherwise, CJ McCollum (19, 9/24 FG), Trey Murphy (14) and Larry Nance Jr. (14) scored double-digit points. For the latter it was the first double-double of the season (16 rebounds, 7 offensive), he was one of the key players in the late comeback (plus/minus +15). The three-pointer fell badly on both sides (27.3 vs. 25.0 percent), but the Pels scored much better from the field (48.9 vs. 41.2 percent).
At the start of the final quarter it looked like the Clippers could make up for the absence of George, who had to sit out due to Corona. Ultimately, the 27 points each from Reggie Jackson (9/22 FG, 2/9 3FG, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) and Marcus Morris Sr. (9/20 FG, 4/11 3FG, 9 rebounds) were not enough. Nicolas Batum defended well but didn’t hit any of his 5 three-pointers. Norman Powell (17) and Robert Covington (14) also made offensive contributions. Isaiah Hartenstein only played six minutes and hit his only throw (2 points, 1 rebound).
The guests got off to a much better start in the game, led by 16 Ingram points (8/9 FG), the first section went to the Pels with 30:22. The Clippers, on the other hand, only scored 34.6 percent from the field. The Pelicans opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run before Hartenstein finally scored again for the hosts. But the Clippers still didn’t find an answer to Nance Jr.
The Pelicans did what they wanted offensively, while LA hardly made any open shots. The deficit grew to 16 points before at least Jackson woke up. The switch to a small lineup with Batum for Ivica Zubac kept the gap halfway within limits – 56:46 Pels.
Pels secure last playoff ticket in insane closing stages
The Clippers started the second half without Zubac, which should pay off immediately. After five points from Morris, Jackson sank a wide-open three, the Pels had continued to bet on a lineup with two Big Men (Jonas Valanciunas and Jackson Hayes) but quickly adjusted this. Even after a time-out, LA’s run continued, defending aggressively and applying pressure. Jackson got the first lead with a three-point game, the game was tipped by 14 points within four minutes across quarters!
Jackson mercilessly attacked the basket, while Batum’s substitution paid off extremely well at the defensive end because he did a good job after switches against either McCollum or Ingram. Symptomatic of the game, the first missed two free throws in the middle of the quarter, the Pelicans had scored just 4 measly points in the section after almost eight minutes. Covington’s three brought the gap to 11 points. Two strong drives from Powell ensured that the Clippers went into the final quarter with a supposedly comfortable lead. 84:74.
Head coach Willie Green obviously found the right words, the Pelicans regained some defensive access, Ingram reduced the lead to -7 with a turnaround and forced Tyronn Lue to time out. But it didn’t change anything, after an Ingram dunk and an Alvarado three, the score was suddenly only 85:87! And a few seconds later equalized McCollum even ended the game from a distance. Jackson stopped the barrel, Nance Jr. clogged twice. But it remained wild and incredibly exciting, Murphy scored again from downtown to equalize – and then Nance Jr.’s putback finally sat (96:94).
While it was the Clippers who hardly found any offensive solutions in the crunch time, McCollum increased to +4 with a pull-up and LA missed several chances on the other side. A three-pointer from Murphy happily fell in, Powell’s three-pointer kept the hosts alive and after a layup by Covington it went into the final minute (99:101). The Clippers unsuccessfully challenged a Batum foul on Jones, who showed no nerves at the line. Jackson only hit a free throw with 26 seconds left (100:103). The Pels now had problems with the throw-in, Nance then missed both free throws, but Powell, who was sent to the line, also missed one. A dunk by Valanciunas made everything clear. The top seeded Suns are now waiting for New Orleans on Monday night.
Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans: The Series at a Glance
| Spiel | Datum | time | Heim | away | result |
| 1 | 18. April | 3 o’clock | Phoenix Suns | New Orleans Pelicans | – |
| 2 | 20. April | 4 o’clock | Phoenix Suns | New Orleans Pelicans | – |
| 3 | 23. April | TBD | New Orleans Pelicans | Phoenix Suns | – |
| 4 | 25. April | 3:30 a.m | New Orleans Pelicans | Phoenix Suns | – |
| 5* | 27. April | TBD | Phoenix Suns | New Orleans Pelicans | – |
| 6* | 29. April | TBD | New Orleans Pelicans | Phoenix Suns | – |
| 7* | 1st May | TBD | Phoenix Suns | New Orleans Pelicans | – |
