On April 16, Beijing time, the Pelicans beat the Clippers 105-101 to win the last place in the Western Playoffs. In this game, the Clippers trailed by a maximum of 16 points, and in the third quarter, they won by 20 points in a single quarter to achieve a rebound. However, the Pelicans did not give up, and then played a series of 14-1 and 10-0 attack waves, reversing the game in one fell swoop. The Pelicans advanced to the playoffs and also set a 25-year miracle.
This season, the Pelicans started with a 1-12 loss and briefly spent the last spot in the West. But in the end, the Pelicans managed to advance to the playoffs with their back-end strength and play-off rules. According to statistics, this is the fourth team in NBA history to still make it to the playoffs at the end of the season after the first 13 games started with 1 win, 12 losses or 0 wins and 13 losses. The remaining three are the Bulls in the 67-68 season, the Cavaliers in the 85-85 season, and the Suns in the 96-97 season. That said, the Pelicans set a 25-year record.
Of course, that year's team entered the playoffs, relying on a solid record. The Pelicans benefited slightly from the rule change, as their regular season record was only 9th in the West, only because of the presence of the playoffs, which gave them a chance to advance to the playoffs. Of course, in the end, they seized the opportunity and eliminated the Clippers, who originally occupied the 8th position in the West.
This season has been very tough for the Pelicans. Zion was reimbursed for the season early, the team experienced the pain of changing coaches, and it seemed that there was no playoff hope at all. But before the trade deadline, they made the most correct decision of the season in exchange for McCollum. When CJ arrived, he immediately changed the face of the team. He set an example for the team and activated Ingram by the way.
In the absence of Zion, the Pelicans, with two engines on the outside, finally overwhelmed the Lakers and Spurs, and now beat the Clippers to advance, which is respectable. Next, they're up for the First Place in the West and the number one favorite suns of the season. I wonder if this young team will surprise their fans?