The present New Orleans Pelicans sales space has had a little bit little bit of all the pieces.
Losses because of rashes and nail biters.
Cheers and boos.
And even just a few accidents, which has been the norm for the Pelicans this season.
The one factor lacking, as has been the case all yr, is a win.
The Pelicans (5-27) get yet one more shot at victory within the fifth and last dwelling recreation Monday night time after they host the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers are a group the Pels have had success with just lately, going 10-2 during the last three seasons. What’s going to it take to make it 11-2?
“It’s going to take fixed effort for 48 minutes,” Pelicans coach Willie Inexperienced mentioned. “Meaning caring for the basketball, first lowering our turnovers. Getting the ball up the court docket rapidly to get into our actions. Sharing the basketball is a vital half for us.
“However it actually begins with our defensive mindset. Will we be bodily? Can we take them out of a few of their actions? Can we end possessions?”
The Pelicans gained two video games in October and two video games in November. They’re now trying to win simply their second recreation in December of their last recreation of the month.
The Clippers (18-13) have gained 4 of their final 5 video games, together with a highway victory over the Memphis Grizzlies final Monday.
The Pelicans, in the meantime, have misplaced 9 straight video games and 18 of their final 19.
Inexperienced hopes his group can construct momentum as soon as they style victory once more.
“It’s nonetheless a protracted season,” he mentioned. “We attempt to concentrate on one recreation at a time. We’re targeted on this subsequent victory and I hope it could actually come quickly.
The Clippers are fifth within the Western Convention standings, making them the Pelicans’ seventh straight opponent that will make the playoffs if the season ended at present.
The earlier 4 video games have been one thing of a curler coaster. The house recreation started with an 11-point loss to the New York Knicks, adopted by an time beyond regulation loss to the Denver Nuggets. Then there was Thursday’s embarrassing loss to the Houston Rockets. The Pels confirmed extra effort an evening later however fell to the Grizzlies.
“(Memphis) simply performed higher than us,” CJ McCollum mentioned Friday. “I don’t assume it’s a scarcity of effort. I believe we’re getting nearer. We want extra nights the place it appears to be like like this by way of transition, stops and communication. We have to string it collectively…for 48 minutes or as near it as potential.
Trey Murphy has led the Pelicans in scoring in 4 of the final 5 video games. The one recreation he did not play was towards the Nuggets when he sprained his ankle and went to the locker room early within the third quarter. He returned the subsequent recreation towards the Rockets, then scored a season-high 35 factors towards the Grizzlies.
“Trey performed nice all through the sport,” Inexperienced mentioned. “When the ball obtained to him, he made good performs. He was stable. He pulled on the blanket. He reached the basket. He obtained to the free throw line. We simply want him to maintain attacking.
Murphy is averaging 25.8 factors at dwelling, however he is not pleased with these numbers or his season excessive Friday.
“We didn’t win,” Murphy mentioned. “It was good, but it surely wasn’t ok.”
Regardless of the loss, Inexperienced mentioned his group was near rising from its season-long funk.
“We’re transferring in the best route,” Inexperienced mentioned. “We simply need to proceed to right some errors.”
