Pelicans, Zion Williamson are ‘going to be a hard out’ in playoffs, Sixers coach Doc Rivers says
"I don’t know who’s gonna knock them out in the West, because they’re tough," Rivers said of the Pelicans, who entered Friday in a tie for first place in the competitive Western Conference.
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NEW ORLEANS — It’s rare for an NBA coach to watch an upcoming opponent live from the stands. But Doc Rivers had that opportunity on Wednesday, when the Pelicans hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves and the 76ers were already in town for Friday’s matchup at the Smoothie King Center.
New Orleans won, 119-118, to move to 22-12 and into a tie for first place in a competitive Western Conference entering Friday. They have made this sharp ascent as one of the NBA’s feel-good stories, despite standout forward Brandon Ingram missing more than a month with a bruised big toe.
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When asked by a local television reporter if the Pelicans can win the NBA championship this season, Rivers quipped, “No, because they’d have to beat us.” But the coach’s serious overarching takeaway was that New Orleans is “loaded” behind the star power of Ingram, Zion Williamson, and C.J. McCollum, along with a slew of impressive role players.
“They’re long, they’re athletic and they’re extremely well-coached,” Rivers said. “And what stands out to me the most is they are a team. They play together. They like each other. They play with the intensity that you have to play with to win a title. …
“They’re going to be a hard out. I don’t know who’s gonna knock them out in the West, because they’re tough.”
Crunch-time execution a focus
The Sixers’ bad 116-111 loss in Washington began with what Rivers called defensive “mishaps” to slip into another double-digit deficit. But the night ended with failed offense, with three consecutive empty possessions while trailing 111-108 in the game’s final two minutes.
Lack of execution has popped up at other points this season, most notably on Dec. 9 when the Sixers allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to erase a nine-point deficit with less than 35 seconds remaining in regulation before the Sixers prevailed in overtime. The Sixers are 9-8 in “clutch” games, which the NBA defines as games that are within five or fewer points with five or fewer minutes remaining.
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That so-so record does not align with the Sixers’ strong clutch net rating of plus-8.8, which ranked ninth in the NBA entering Friday. Their defense in such scenarios ranked third in the league with 87.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. But their offense was near the bottom of the league in efficiency (25th, 96.4 points per 100 possessions), field-goal percentage (23rd, 40.2), and turnovers (25th, 1.5 per game).