The Clippers vs Pelicans: falling short ‘112-104’ could haunt them come playoff time
The Clippers vs Pelicans could haunt them come playoff time
The Clippers vs Pelicans: One of the few teams that have figured out how to defeat the Clippers, the New Orleans Pelicans, has been a constant source of trouble for them over the past several seasons.
In the Clippers vs Pelicans game headed toward a first-round playoff matchup, Friday night’s game had greater significance than normal. On some level, the game may have been even more critical for the Clippers, who had lost 11 of their previous 15 games versus New Orleans.
Clippers forward Paul George, left, and centre Ivica Zubac try to stop Pelicans forward Zion Williamson from scoring during the first half of the Clippers’ 112-104 loss Friday night. Williamson finished with 34 points.
For most of the game, the Clippers were down and could not overcome Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, falling short 112-104.
With his final stats of 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, Williamson helped the Pelicans defeat the Clippers for the third time this year.
Paul George, who finished with 26 points, six assists, and five rebounds, stated, “We just had some trouble containing Zion.” “That’s something we’ve got to figure out.”
As they could be headed for a playoff clash with the Pelicans, the Clippers will have to. With 16 games remaining, the Clippers (42-24) are still two games ahead of the Pelicans (40-26), now in fifth place in the Western Conference. They would receive home-court advantage if they matched up as the fourth and fifth seeds in the first round. The Pelicans, however, possess the tiebreaker due to their season series victory.
“Any challenge, any matchup, we’ll welcome it,” George declared.
The Clippers could not stop Williamson once he settled into a rhythm in the third quarter. He hit all seven shots, scoring 16 points almost at will during the quarter.
If they won, it would be extremely tough for the Pelicans to catch up to the Clippers in the standings, as it would take four games between the two teams. However, if New Orleans wins this game, they will close the gap to two games and win the season series against the Clippers.
The injury reports for both teams have been made public, and Zion Williamson, the standout player for the Pelicans, is not among them. Thus, he is expected to participate. Williamson has appeared in 54 of the Pelicans’ 65 games this season, significantly improving over past seasons.
Williamson will surpass the 61 games he played in the 2021 season and set a career record if he plays eight more games this season. After playing only 29 games last season, Williamson has nearly doubled that number this season, which has undoubtedly contributed to the Pelicans’ current ranking.
