NBA Gametime reacts Pelicans dump Kings 105-98, book 1st-round series with Thunder; B. Ingram 24 Pts

NBA Gametime reacts Pelicans dump Kings 105-98, book 1st-round series with Thunder; B. Ingram 24 Pts

Brandon Ingram handling his business led the Pelicans in scoring with 24 points on the board congrats New Orleans Pelicans they reached the playoffs for just the fourth time since 2011 with the win over the Sacramento Kings and the Western Conference just like the Eastern Conference is all set Pelicans will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round welcome to playoff Central live presented by State Farm that’s bwood that’s car loser I’m Chris Miles and for the New Orleans Pelicans without Zion Williamson they were clicking on all cylinders but we got to start with the defense because you see the Kings 98 points on the board Pelicans 12-0 this season when they play that kind of stifling defense Bryan nine Steals and seven blocks they control this game on that end of the floor yeah and defensively we’re starting to see that be a theme the last couple of games that we talk about the Miami Heat they got their win now we’re talking about this game with the Pelicans and how they won it starts with defense we say defense wins championships and it sounds cliche but in the playoffs you got to Rack it up you got to get stops in the regular season yeah everybody’s scoring but in the playoffs you got to get on the floor you got to get an active active hands you got to get those steals get out in transition look at how the Pelicans are swarming right here challenging shots blocking shots that’s leading the dunks the other way listen when you get into those big time playoff games I’m not saying that you’re going to shut teams down like this every single night but you got to have guys understanding where they’re supposed to be you got you got to have active hands getting strips steals if you’re shot blocking you got to be on the weak side you got to be in the right proper position every single time and you got to find a way to let your defense trigger easy offense and get out and transition and we saw that tonight with the Pelicans yeah they did that I mean from the opening tip did a great job offensively going inside the valent tunit got in physical they were going they got on the passing Lanes they contesting shots as you saw they’re turning defense and the offense they played as a unit on the defensive side of the ball then you bring in Alvarado does a great job of pushing the temp they just look like a playoff ready team tonight yeah and this team again Zion Williamson played a career high 70 games so Brenan you pointed this out before the show they are now uh eight and5 without him this season so they’ve won with Z Williamson and without him on the floor the bench a big part of that outscoring Sacramento 34-10 so it was by committee yeah he was definitely by committee the bench was great you’ve got a big time play from n Jr Naj Marshall Jos Al but for me it starts off with JV and he was varsity tonight Balon chunis really kicked the party off and you this is the time of year where you need those vets you need those vets you need those vets to step in there and you know valent Tunis isn’t going to do this every night but he’s capable he’s a big body inside catches it keeps it up high knows how to finish strong um very confident in his skill and like I said when you get to this part of the season your vets might not have four or five of these games in the playoff series but just just one or two here there that’s what to get you over the hump we saw that with valent junis and in the first game we saw with Kevin Love as well as he had a big game with 16 points today take it back to the Philly game um Nicholas Batum had a big game your vets are very important this time a year and we and we’ve been seeing that all throughout the playin so far so it was something that Brendan said right and we were talking about the mindset of okay so Damonte sabon is 23 points 14 rebounds seven assists but we know him All-Star caliber player for J it’s about offsetting that and the 19 and 12 did that a great job I mean great game plan as well they went inside to him right away they thought he had an advantage over sabonis and he did was very physical put the ball in the basket you saw CJ McCullum right there driving drawing attention dishing it to him he’s got great hands did a great job of finishing at the basket I feel like uh to Brendan’s point you need a veteran guy who’s been there before been physical been aggressive had success in the playoffs as well and they did a great job of setting the tone for this team then the young guys follow follow suit now we mentioned Zion Williamson missing for the Pelicans out with that hamstring injury but Malik monk Kevin herder not there for Sacramento when you look at Fox able to give him 35 and you go to that starting lineup you go to the bench you’re like that’s where it seems like they missed those two guys in this particular game yeah and you know no one’s going to make it no one’s going to cry for you in the playoffs this time of year no one’s going to make any excuses but Malik monk probably the Sixth Man of the Year at least in the running for it he brought that juice and that energy energy Off the Bench and those type of guys can sometimes change the trajectory of a game you might be flat and that a guy like Malik monk comes in makes two or three big plays and next thing you know the whole energy of the game shifts and you could just see Sacramento didn’t have that tonight obviously missing herur or hurt them as well yeah and that energy Larry Nance Jr Jose alado really brought that when you had three guys off the bench scoring double figures for the pelic they do a great job they they changeed the tempo of the game you see right here setting plays up reading the defense going for a pick and roll then you see right here a quick drive to the basket drops a dime as he as he draws the attention of the defense bang bang for Larry Nash J looking like his pops out there another drive right here swings it over to the corner got deflected knock down three just beautiful basketball right here as they’re what I love about these clips is that they’re finding each other you see in transition a quick run out quick leg with the left hand bang bang just this is how you get easy baskets you use each other you spread the ball you draw you kick they did this to a a great job you see another one right here with a high screener roll Alvarado drive to the basket finds the roller nice little L by Larry Nash Jr they kept doing this over and over and over again then you also see the defense right here swarming the ball turning defense into offense another bang right here Pelicans just look like a playoff team tonight they look United they look together it was fun to watch yeah they look hungry they look hungry and this is a team that got got smacked in the mouth two games in a row be by you lose to the Lakers on your home court you don’t want to end this season losing three straight games on your home court man that’s not how you want to go into the off season and they they came out with that extra grit and that extra fight tonight they had that bounce they had that pop in they step yeah and also 29 team assists I mean that’s something that when you talk about the Pelicans you think oh Zion Williamson initiates the offense a lot he’s out then they go oh you don’t have a traditional point guard yet they were still able to move the ball to the tune of 29 assists with no one having more than six yeah that’s great I mean they just share the ball they that’s what I was saying they look like a team because they’re drawing and kicking they’re making the right play they’re finding each other they turn down a good shot for a great shot that’s what playoff teams who are trying to win do like brenon said they’re hungry they’re hungry but they you’re hungry together as a unit yeah and then you talk about the assist the assist number is huge and if the Pelicans were going to win this game without Zion you thought it would be because CJ McCullum had a I did I know you did we’ll talk about that later but that just goes to show you with the ball moving everybody touching nobody caring who gets the credit CJ didn’t even come out there and take but eight shots I thought he might take 28 shots on a night like tonight but the ball was moving everybody got to be a part of it you had five guys in double figures and some of them weren’t The Usual Suspects but it didn’t matter it was all about winning playing the right way and taking advantage of the mismatches where they had them well I asked you before the game because Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum collectively were averaging 50 against the Kings this season well McCullum gave you seven but Ingram handled his business with 24 uh your Duke guy you can take the floor and talk about man he looked good I mean obviously the game first game back the other night was him getting his fairings back making sure he didn’t go too hard tonight looked more like Brandon Ingram very confident took great shots got to his mid-range got to the free throw line did a great job playing defense I saw him block a couple of shots just a very active Brandon Ingram he’s so versatile obviously that’s why they were looking forward to pairing him up with Zion but the reality of it is he’s another guy that can carry your offense when you need a bucket you can go to bi he can get to his spots he can knock down shots he’s a a prolific scorer and he looked great tonight and something we kind of discussed as this game was progressing like okay it’s a 20-point lead now for the Pelicans um how do you think they match up with the Oklahoma City Thunder with Zion not on the floor with Z not on the floor I think it’s going to be tough because the thing that makes Oklahoma so tough to me is the fact that they will go out there and score the basketball but they will guard you they’re top five in offense they’re top five in defense they have a MVP caliber uh leader when we talk about Shay gilis Alexander um listen this is a team that can really really get after you so um without Zion I don’t really like the Pelicans chances in this series but as they prove tonight you can’t sleep on this squad because they still have enough talent to beat you but I do like where OKC is heading into this series yeah same I think OKC sitting in a great spot right they have an MVP candidate and Shay they got great pieces around they got size around him as well at the skill positions and then obviously the Pelicans are missing one of the most dynamic players in the game and Z Williamson him not being there puts that much more pressure on the other guys to perform against the number one team in the Western Conference and going to look at the Sacramento Kings from where they were last year as the third seed in the west but they had just two less wins this season than they had last year to lose in a playing like this Brenan this feels like a group that needs to stay together and just regroup for next season what do you think of that assessment of Sacramento well they still have some very good young talent and so when you look at this Sacramento team they don’t need to hit the panic button do anything drastic obviously everybody wants to improve and if there’s a a window open for you to do that you take it but I think Keegan Murray’s going to be better I I think that you know if you if you have Monk and herder healthy um we see dearon Fox 27 points per game and I still think there’s another step that he can take in his game so they have some young guys that are playing really good that can take another step forward I think that Sacramento will be a better team when we talk about them next season yeah I I I think they’re I think monk not having monk cuz he’s also a two-way player he he makes plays offensively but he also can lock down defensively herder being a a a straight knockdown perimeter player red velvet red velvet hurt them not having those two guys specifically hurt them in this particular game but I agree with Brendan I don’t think you hit the panic button I think this team is set up very nicely for the future they’re young they can play multiple Styles they got to get better a little bit oh V for no matter how long it takes I will find you first Blood an ally has been defeated an ally has been defeated No Escape an enemy has been defeated get over here let an ally has been defeated an enemy enemy has been defeated unexpected I will not stop my anger an ally has been defeated strength an enemy has been defeated stand down your tower has been destroyed I can an ally has been defeated enemy ultimate shameful fail our base is under attack enemy double kill [Music] Escape an enemy has been defeated enemy bloodb shut down ultimate shim Valor shut down no Escape enemy double kill an ally has been defeated our base is under attack e e for e for spee spe spee Pi First Blood enemy double kill

NBA Gametime reacts to Pelicans dump Kings 105-98, book 1st-round series with Thunder; Brandon Ingram 24 Pts