On April 16, Beijing time, the NBA's last playoff, the Clippers played at home to the Pelicans. The Pelicans took a 10-point lead in the first half, Tyrenlu changed the lineup in the second half, abandoning Zubac to play the death five, and the Clippers went on a 29-6 climactic reversal to surpass the 10-pointer at the end of the third quarter. However, in the fourth quarter, the Clippers' main physical fitness declined significantly, and in the final critical stage, they missed three consecutive points, and finally the Pelicans narrowly defeated the Clippers 105-101, winning two consecutive play-offs, thus advancing to the playoffs as the 8th, and will play against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
In this game, Ingram performed well, scoring 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting in the first quarter, and efficiently delivering 30 points, 6 boards and 6 assists on 14 of 21 in the whole game. McCollum's mid-range shots were crucial in the final phase, delivering 19 points and three assists. Although Nance Jr. missed two key free throws, he scored 14 points, 16 boards and 4 assists on 7 of 8, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest contributors to the Pelicans' victory!
It is worth mentioning that this is the first time in Ingram's career to reach the playoffs, and in the case of Zion's injury, Ingram has undoubtedly played an absolute core leadership role this season. The Pelicans only had a bad 1-12 record at the start of the season, and not many people would have thought that this team would eventually make the playoffs.
The Pelicans also became the fourth team in NBA history to make the playoffs even after winning just one of their first 13 games, on par with the Bulls in the 67-68 season, the Cavaliers in the 84-85 season and the Suns in the 96-97 season. Although the Pelicans' first-round playoff playoffs against the league-leading Suns are unlikely to have a chance to have a black eight, making the playoffs is already a huge success for the whole team, congratulations to the Pelicans again.