The first round of the playoffs has come to an end. The Nets and Timberwolves have already identified playoff spots, and the final two playoff spots will be created between the Hawks and Cavaliers, the Pelicans and Clippers. The Hawks in the East are clearly the bigger winning team, they have been through the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Cavaliers are still almost inexperienced in terms of experience. In contrast, the Clippers and Pelicans' duel, the two sides are evenly matched opponents, for the Clippers, the Pelicans are their bitter masters.
Today, the Pelicans beat the Spurs 113-103, and although the final score difference is only 10 points, it can be seen through the course of the game that the Pelicans and the Spurs are not the same level team at all. From the second half, the Pelicans led by 20 points until mid-quarter time when the Spurs took advantage of the Pelicans' slackness to chase the gap back to single digits. Subsequently, the Pelicans once again exerted their strength and completely put the game in stone. The Pelicans' offensive firepower was even stronger than the Timberwolves, with 11 points in in the first quarter, CJ McCollum 19 points in the second quarter, Valanciunas 12 points in the third quarter and Ingram 10 points in the fourth quarter. Throughout the game, the Pelicans blossomed more, the Spurs were invincible, almost every game, the Pelicans three giants will take turns to take over the game, the overall strength of the Pelicans can not be underestimated. What's more, today's Ingram was plagued by fouls and only played 29 minutes, and if it was a normal rotation time, there was no suspense at all in this game.
In the regular season this season, the Pelicans' record against the Clippers is 3-1, the first three games, the Pelicans have shown a full-court crushing trend, and in the last game, the Clippers won back a city with a 19-point victory. Looking at the record of the two teams, the Pelicans have an absolute advantage, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they are the Nemesis of the Clippers. However, george was absent due to injury in the third meeting, and the reference value was limited. However, whether in terms of lineup configuration or recent performance, the Pelicans are the team that has the upper hand. After George returned from injury, his form was extremely unstable, and the performance of the first play-off game was enough to show that relying on George alone, the Clippers could not withstand the impact of the Pelicans' Big Three. The Clippers' good forward reserves can't play to their advantage in front of the Pelicans, because the Pelicans' forward reserves are at the top of the league, and they may be able to suppress Ingram's play, but CJ McCollum and Valanciunas are their biggest headaches.
You know, Reggie Jackson and Powell are not good defenders, CJ since coming to the Pelicans, its scoring stability is almost superstar level, perennial playoffs, the Clippers can hardly expect him to drop the chain in key moments. In addition, a center with low-post singles ability like Valanciunas can also cause great trouble for the Clippers. What's more, Valanciunas also has a certain three-point range, and this season's record of 8 three-pointers in a single game is obtained on the head of the Clippers. His toughness is not comparable to yesterday's Towns. Zubac is big enough to deal with Valanciunas, but if zubac is used for a long time, the Clippers will have to face the mid-range challenge of Ingram and CJ, and Zubac will be a double-edged sword in this matchup. If Reggie Jackson and Powell continue to perform in the first game, the Clippers are basically already waving goodbye to the playoffs.
Before today's game, the Pelicans' hidden boss, Zion Williamson, was on the training ground, showing two difficult dunks to the outside world after a simple warm-up. As can be seen from the video, Zion has recovered almost completely, and the movement and bounce have basically returned to the peak of 80%. Zion and Leonard are on an equal footing, both of them are close to coming back, but they dare not rush to make a comeback, and it is almost certain that next season will be the stage for these two players. Zion, however, was a surprise to some extent, after all, the talk of Zion's comeback in the play-offs was not empty.
Leonard missed this fantastic opportunity this season, with the Nuggets and Warriors making a comeback next season, the Grizzlies, Timberwolves and Pelicans maturing, and the Clippers Twins have lost their absolute advantage at the moment.