Going around, the San Antonio Spurs, who are tenth in the West this season, finally got the chance to impact the playoffs. From beginning to end, Popovich did not accept the proposal of the team to rebuild, but with his own talent, helped the team to cultivate a new core figure, Murray. After getting one triple-double stat after another, Murray not only became the Spurs' all-time triple-double, but also crowned the honor of an All-Star, and after winning one game after another, the Spurs successfully squeezed out the Los Angeles Lakers and qualified for the play-off area.
According to the rules of the game, the Spurs will have to win two games if they want to get their tickets for the post-season. In this game, Popovich dragged the team to New Orleans, where he played the Pelicans. Admittedly, the Pelicans are in good shape in the second half of the regular season, and the team's rise to prominence comes mostly from new signing McCollum. This playoff is their last chance to fight for playoff tickets, and the two sides will inevitably be very glued.
At the beginning of the game, the Pelicans, who played at home, were able to take the lead and get the lead. Ingram shot 4-of-9 in the first quarter, sending 11 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists, McCollum is not to be outdone, also sent 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 block to help the team play 26-22 and get a 4-point lead. I have to admit that Murray and Kelden were not in good shape in the first quarter, and the two sent a poor shooting rate of 1 of 8 shots, which really dragged the team's hind legs.
Entering the second quarter of the showdown, the Pelicans, who took the lead in the score, continued to threaten, further widening the point difference between the two teams. McCollum showed great power, and even sent a key 19 points under the efficient shooting rate of 7 of 7 in a single quarter, helping the team to play a 35-28 score in one fell swoop and continue to take a 7-point lead. At the end of the first half, the Pelicans were already 61-50 ahead of the Spurs by a crucial 11 points. Murray shot 1-of-5 at halftime, with 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists with free throws, Kelden was dumbfounded, and sent a poor shooting percentage of 7-of-0 at halftime.
Popovich's heavy reverse eye actually dropped the chain at a critical moment, which is a pity. Meanwhile, McCollum on the Pelicans' side once again showed his unparalleled offensive aggressiveness. On 7-of-7 shooting in the second quarter, 19 points were not enough, and there was also an efficient shooting rate of 10 of 12 shots in the halftime, a halftime high of 27 points, and a full range of 1 rebound and 1 assist. If nothing else, McCollum will continue to show his tough offensive ability after the easy side fights again.
The game was only halfway through, the difference between the two teams had reached double digits, and the balance of victory was already tipping to one side. However, we still have reason to believe that Popovich will make changes to help the team get out of the predicament quickly. Looking forward to a more exciting matchup in the second half.