The New Orleans Pelicans fell short in the matchup against the Boston Celtics in their last outing. A game that started out in the favor of the Pelicans soon slipped out of their hands as the Celtics rallied back into the game. After the loss, Zion Williamson sat down for a post-game press conference with the media, pointing out the mistakes made by the team and what it was like playing the center position.
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The Boston Celtics defeated the New Orleans Pelicans with a 104-92 final score. Zion Williamson led the way in scoring for New Orleans but wasn’t enough to rally his team past the number one seed in the East.
After the game, Zion Williamson was asked to give his two cents on playing the center position for the team. An undersized forward at 6’6, the Duke product took accountability and pointed out what the team could’ve done to get a different outcome.
“It allows us to play faster. It also allows us to switch 1-5 and not have someone to pick on. A small ball unit works for us. That 3rd quarter when they upped their intensity and we should have matched it but we didn’t.”
“It allows us to switch 1-5 and not have someone to pick on. A small ball unit works for us. That 3rd quarter when they upped their intensity and we should have matched it but we didn’t.”
— Zion Williamson on playing center down the stretch of the game pic.twitter.com/5apWAdqEfr
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) March 31, 2024
The Pelicans supposedly tried a new lineup against the Celtics. New Orleans’ center Jonas Valanciunas only played 15 minutes the entire game as head coach Willie Green chose to go with Larry Nance Jr. and then Zion Williamson at the five, late in the fourth quarter.
As Zion said, the small ball lineup did help the team play a much faster pace of offense. And it may have worked as well, only if the Pelicans weren’t trying to overcome a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter. As much defensive pressure as they were able to put on Boston, the Celtics still managed to get good shots off with their ball rotation, finding the open player and not settling for a bad jumper in the end.
If only the Pelicans were able to match the intensity of the Celtics in the third quarter, the final score and the outcome of the game would’ve been a lot different.
Things will not get easy for Zion Williamson and the Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans had been playing great basketball lately. Dropping a game or two here and there, the Pelicans are way ahead of teams boasting a lot of star power on their roster. However, this loss pushes New Orleans further away from the fourth seed.
After tonight’s game, the New Orleans Pelicans’ season record is 44-29, placing them in the fifth spot in the Western Conference. This loss pushes them 1.5 games away from the fourth-seeded Clippers team and only 0.5 games away from the sixth-seeded Mavericks.
And things are not going to get easier for the Pelicans either. Based on their season schedule, the team will be facing the Spurs and the Trail Blazers soon. While those two teams might seem like an easy win, the San Antonio Spurs have suddenly kicked it up a notch so that matchup seems like a tough one as well.
Moreover, the Pelicans will be facing the Phoenix Suns twice in their next five games. Given that the Suns are currently in the seventh spot in the West, it is a reasonable assumption that Phoenix will have all three All-Stars on the floor in the hopes of clinching a better spot for the playoffs.
The outcome of the team’s placements in the Western Conference is going to be interesting as each team is fighting for a better placement for the upcoming postseason. So, will the Pelicans drop down to a lower seed or will they be able to retain their fifth spot if not jump up to the fourth? Things sure are shaping up in the West with the final stretch of the season upon us.
