OAKLAND – They’ve defied the odds all season, qualifying for the Western Conference playoffs despite losing a four-time All-Star to injury, then sweeping heavily-favored Portland in a first-round series, along the way putting together 10- and nine-game winning streaks. For their next trick, the New Orleans Pelicans will attempt to overcome a 3-1 deficit against the defending NBA champions. Before they contemplate winning three in a row vs. the Warriors, however, they’re focusing simply on Tuesday’s Game 5, the squad’s first literal must-win situation of 2017-18.
“We’re not thinking about winning three games; we’re thinking about winning one game,” Pelicans third-year head coach Alvin Gentry said in a Monday conference call. “If you look at it that way (of needing three straight wins) against the defending champs, it is almost an impossible task. To win one game is not an impossible task, and that’s what we have to do.”
New Orleans proved it can win on Golden State’s home floor April 7, posting a 126-120 victory while Warriors guard Stephen Curry was still sidelined by injury. When Curry made his return to the court in Game 2 of this second-round series with a 28-point eruption, the Pelicans still remained in the hunt deep into the contest, trailing by one point with seven-plus minutes left in regulation. New Orleans’ recent competitiveness in Oracle – a 22-point loss in Game 1 notwithstanding – gives the Pelicans reason to believe that ending Golden State’s lengthy home postseason win streak is not out of the question. Gentry also noted his team’s track record in ’17-18 of responding to bad performances by bouncing back and playing much better basketball. Sunday’s 118-92 loss was one of New Orleans’ poorest outings of the entire season, particularly at the offensive end.
“We have to play better than we did in Game 4,” Gentry said matter-of-factly. “We have to play better on (Golden State’s) homecourt (compared to Game 1 and 2). That’s the only way you’re going to find a way to win. But we are a confident group. We followed up a lot of disappointing losses, or games we didn’t play well in, with good efforts and usually played much better, to put ourselves in position to win. That’s the attitude we have to take into Oracle.”
After playing Game 4 at home and departing on a 4-hour, 20-minute flight to the Bay Area on Sunday, the Pelicans opted to cancel practice Monday, instead getting a chance to rest their legs in advance of Tuesday’s Game 5. New Orleans has leaned heavily on its starting five throughout the playoffs; even in a 26-point loss yesterday, Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday both logged 40 minutes of action. E’Twaun Moore played 37 minutes.
“I thought it was important,” Gentry said of a chance to recuperate Monday. “We originally had a practice scheduled, but we do have guys that are playing real heavy minutes, really all of the starters. I thought it would be a good idea to let their minds rest, their bodies rest… I thought it was a good time to exhale, relax and get yourself ready, because obviously we have a monumental task ahead of us to win on Golden State’s court. That’s exactly what we’re planning on doing.”
Asked by a Bay Area reporter why the Pelicans aren’t viewing a potential comeback in the series as impossible – while many others probably are – Gentry referenced the fact that Cleveland accomplished the feat during the 2016 NBA Finals. The Cavaliers also had to win Game 5 and 7 in Oracle, but did so en route to a historic rally from down 3-1.
“Because you’ve got to believe in yourself,” Gentry responded to the question. “Not to bring up a bad subject, but Cleveland was down 3-1, and obviously they’ve got LeBron James, the greatest player that maybe ever played the game. But you have to believe in yourself.”