The Pelicans came away with an impressive road victory over the Sacramento Kings in the NBA In-Season Tournament despite falling down early, and CJ McCollum detailed why it was so important for his team to show fight and battle back, as well as get contributions from everyone.
“It's extremely important,” CJ McCollum said about not relying on one player to carry the team, via Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “That's how you compete for championships, that's how you win playoff games and that's how you win in the half court — having multiple guys.”
The Kings and Mike Brown had a game plan that involved doubling Zion Williamson and “throwing the kitchen sink” at him. It comes as no surprise, as Zion Williamson is viewed as the biggest star on the Pelicans. However, the other players on the roster were allowed to thrive as a result. That is the recipe for a dangerous team.
Mike Brown's team went up 15 early, but a well-rounded effort resulted in the Pelicans storming back, closing the first quarter on an 18-4 run.
As a result of the win over the Kings, the Pelicans moved on to the semifinal in the NBA In-Season Tournament, in which New Orleans will play either the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns. The Lakers and Suns play tonight, and the semifinal will take place on Thursday.
The winner of the semifinal will move on to the championship game on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if the Pelicans can keep up this type of performance and not only win the In-Season Tournament, but become a serious threat in the west come playoff time.