LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs came to the rebellious bubble of the NBA in search of developing their young talent.
The playoffs can be a nice bonus.
For Zion Williamson, postseason hopes may have to wait until next year.
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, Rudy Gay added 19 from the bench and the Spurs missed a lot of a 20-point lead in the second half before hanging on Sunday to defeat New Orleans 122-113 and a big hit for the playoffs of the Pelicans hopes.
The Spurs – bid to become the first team in NBA history to make 23 consecutive playoff appearances – moved past idle Phoenix to 10th place in the West, percentage points behind Portland for the No. 9 spot that comes with a place to lie in the game -in series next weekend.
“I think it would be enormous,” said Popovich, the Spurs’ coach. “If we can be in that ninth place, that’s quite a victory and it says a lot about how this young group came out along with three of the starters. I’m already excited about how they played, and it “It would be great if we could get that.”
Dejounte Murray scored 18 for the Spurs. Derrick White added 16 before leaving early in the third quarter with an injured knee.
JJ Redick scored 31 points with a season-high eight 3-pointers for New Orleans, receiving 25 from Williamson and 17 from Brandon Ingram. Portland plays later Sunday and a Trail Blazers win over Philadelphia would eliminate New Orleans from overtime after the season.
“We just don’t have the competitive spirit to start the game,” Redick said. “We were flat. We’re not talking. That’s coming down.”
Pelican coach Alvin Gentry called it a Game 7-type game beforehand, but stuck to the plan of playing Williamson in short bursts. Williamson started the first, second and third quarters, coming out around the center of each.
In the fourth, Gentry Williamson took a 6:53 left, putting him back in the final slot about two minutes later. But the Pelicans never regained the lead.
“We’ve played 44 games without Zion, so it’s very difficult to put a stamp on exactly what the season is,” said Gentry. “But I love the young players we have. I think going forward we will have the opportunity to be a good team and compete at a really high level.”
The Spurs led 69-49 with 9:54 left in the third quarter, a key moment – because that was when White left with the knee problem.
And the game changed in an instant.
Williamson scored the next eight points by himself, starting with what became a 28-12 run by the Pelicans to finish the quarter.
“We did not expect them to blow them out,” Gay said. “We do not expect anyone to stay out.”
A Jaxson Hayes dunk got New Orleans inside 10. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – who had not made a shot in the Pelicans’ last 15 quarters and had only two 3-pointers since mid-January – connected from outside the arc late in the third, and New Orleans was suddenly within 81-77 in the fourth.
Redick came into the lane for a three-point play with 3:21 left, leaving the Pelicans within 103-100. DeRozan scored inside on the next San Antonio possession, and a late 8-0 spurt by the Spurs sealed the deal.
“We are not there yet,” Popovich said. “But we’ve made a lot of progress, for sure.”
TIP-INS
Spurs: Popovich revealed that assistant Tim Duncan, who said the team stayed behind instead of coming to Disney to help with the rehabilitation of injured forward LaMarcus Aldridge, wanted to be on the trip. “He would love to be here, but it did not make much sense to me to put him through,” Popovich said. “That, he coaches from home.”
Pelicans: Redick took two charges in a span of 47 seconds in the third quarter, part of the Pelicans’ big run to end that period. Redick has not missed a postseason in a season in his high school, college or NBA career. … Lonzo Ball he 10 assists.
FERGUSON REMEMBER
Popovich, without being asked, spent about three minutes before the game, reflecting on Sunday being the sixth anniversary of the death of Michael Brown – an unarmed 18-year-old Black man, shot dead by a police officer after a change in Ferguson, Missouri. Raising awareness about the ongoing problem of racial injustice and police brutality has been a priority in the new start of season for NBA players and coaches, and Popovich has spoken several times about the matter.
FERRY PACKAGE
Pelican owner Gayle Benson sent the team supplies for a special Saturday night dinner – “what we call New Orleans Food,” Gentry said. On the menu: Everything from gumbo to “some of the greatest cake you can ever taste,” Gentry said.
FOLLOWING
Spurs: Play Houston on Tuesday.
Pelicans: Play Sacramento on Tuesday.
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