It got a bit too hot in the kitchen for the Miami Heat on Friday, the last before Easter weekend. The New Orleans Pelicans just brought too much smoke off the bench to start the spring cookout season, beating Miami 111-88 in South Beach.
Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall added a bit of extra spice to the meeting, too. This was expected since they were both suspended for an altercation that occurred the last time these two teams squared up in late February.
Willie Green's Pelicans know Alvarado stays amped up. Green and Alvarado had to hug out a sideline dustup once this season already. Still, whether it's a flop of a night performance-wise or a fight-of-the-night rumble, New Orleans knows what to expect from their brash bench options. The third-year coach appreciates how Alvarado and Marshall can put the past behind them and move on with the season.
“Incredible effort tonight by our bench,” Green complimented. “They didn't have a great game against Orlando but they came out tonight and they responded right away. Jose, Naji, Larry (Nance Jr.). (Jonas Valanciunas) and Trey (Murphy III) are kind of going back and forth. But collectively as a group, it was a big-time win for us.
“Jose and Naji are our energy guys,” continued Green. “They are the emotional leaders on our team. When they bring it like they do, it galvanizes the group. It was fun, it was fun to see those guys respond after not having the game they wanted to have (against the Orlando Magic).”
Green also publicly shared that he allowed the locker room to take Friday's game a bit more personally. That message got back to the Pelicans social media team as well judging by the troll job published as soon as the final buzzer sounded.
“For sure, it was a little extra,” Green explained. “They said some things in the media. We heard it. Our guys wanted to respond and that's the deal. That is what makes this fun. That is what makes sports fun. You get a little trash talk back and forth. Then you get to go out on the floor and compete against each other. That's what it was tonight. It was two teams competing, trying to make plays…and we're glad to be on the winning side.”
Jose Alvarado outplays Jimmy Butler in Pelicans win
Alvarado matched Jimmy Butler's scoring, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Butler had five assists and four rebounds. Marshall added 13 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal. The duo played a combined 54 minutes after being challenged pregame to bring their usual intensity.
“It was huge. I was hurt in that game so I was in the back when everything went down,” CJ McCollum said of Alvarado and Marshall. “They were great and responded really well. Coach challenged them before the game to be themselves, to be their best selves. Be aggressive and impact the game. We got arguably the best bench in the league and they showed it tonight.”
The two undrafted, minimum-level contract guys brought maximum effort against the Heat. But they do that every night, a known fact for anyone paying attention to the Pelicans. It's a big reason why Alvarado and Marshall are two of the most beloved players in franchise history. Their spark off the bench has led to some of the team's most memorable moments, not to mention the crowd-pleasing, winning basketball its largely played since relocating to New Orleans.
Alvarado and Marshall can add to those legacies by helping the Pelicans on a deep playoff run this spring, though neither will likely ever have to pay for a drink in the city ever again regardless.
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