Andrew LopezESPN
NEW ORLEANS – Wherever CJ McCollum goes to New Orleans right now, he says he feels the noise in the city for the Pelicans. On Wednesday, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Smoothie King Center, which remained as the Pelicans pulled 113-103 over the San Antonio Spurs to advance to the NBA play-offs. “This is the beginning of something special, for sure,” McCollum said. “You see the energy. Feel the energy. My mother is in the city, I have a family in the city. When we go out to eat, you can feel that the city is as excited about basketball as it should be. [be]. There is a lot of talent here. We play the game the right way. We will have many victories in our future “. McCollum started quickly against the Spurs, scoring 27 points in the first half, including 19 in the second half, when he was a perfect 7-7 from the field. Pelicans coach Willie Green said McCollum was a steady and calming force for the team throughout the night. “We just got the ball and he played game after game, score after score,” Green said. “The other kids started feeding CJ. It was in those moments. He’s played on the big stage. It’s no coincidence that he goes out and has the game he has.” 2 About McCollum finished the top game with 32 points. “I understood the size of this game,” McCollum said. “The Spurs will always go for a run at some point. They are well trained. They perform. They have a lot of great players who can shoot and score. When you have the chance to get a double digit number, you have to pedal to the metal and try to I’m aggressive. “ McCollum also understood how and when to involve others. Brandon Ingram has lost the previous three games and 13 of the last 18 with a problem in his right thigh. So the Pelicans got the ball early to Ingram and he had 11 of his 27 points in the first quarter. Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas had five points at halftime and New Orleans gave him the ball in the third quarter when he took 12 of his 22. “I just keep talking to them when I need to. I understand what we’re trying to do,” McCollum said when asked what a calming factor he was in the game. “We have to get the ball out and slow down the game. Take the ball to JV. Tell BI to get to the middle and not compromise with 3. Be aggressive and attack the basket. We got the bonus early. And then “I choose my positions. I try to be more aggressive in the playoffs, I try to get a little more downhill.” The Pelicans will play the LA Clippers on Friday night to advance to the playoffs as the eighth seed and face the top Phoenix Suns. If the Pelicans qualify, they will become the fourth team in NBA history to enter the playoffs after starting 1-12 or worse and the first since the Suns achieved the feat in 1996-97. “It’s fun. It’s exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Smoothie King where there were so many people in here,” Ingram said. “It shows how far we have come, starting 1-12. Having a chance to reach the playoffs is a blessing. We just have to keep going, keep our focus. But I loved the energy at the Smoothie King Center.” Although this was the first time McCollum had encountered noise levels as a Pelican, he remembered that the arena had been so intense in the past – especially when the Pelicans swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2018 playoffs. He hopes that Wednesday night’s effort is indicative of what the team will be able to do. “I’m happy about that. I’m excited,” McCollum said. “Obviously, we have to try to take care of things in Los Angeles, but when we get back here, I can’t wait to see more sellouts. And we will reward them with a high level of play, a high level of energy. We will leave it all out there on the pitch.”
