The Pelicans did exactly what they planned to do yesterday. For only the second time since they joined the National Basketball Association 16 years ago, they managed to reach the second round of the playoffs. And they did it in style, beating the Blazers at home to complete a historic sweep and set up a wild celebration. It didn’t matter that they were supposed to be the underdogs, latching on to the sixth seed even as the stiff competition for postseason spots could have relegated them to the outside looking in. They dominated with a show of force headlines by perennial Most Valuable Player candidate Anthony Davis.
Considering the Pelicans’ travails through their 2017-18 campaign, reaching the semifinal round of the playoffs is nothing short of momentous. They lost big man DeMarcus Cousins due to a torn Achilles in late January, evoking thoughts of yet another early exit. They remained confident of their chances, though; after all, they still had Davis to lean on. And when they managed to land motivated Nikola Mirotic for scraps prior to the trade deadline, their hopes found substance. With time and no small measure of effort, they felt they had a roster that could compete even in the packed West.
It’s never easy to lose an All-Star to injury, but if any good came out of Cousins’ sidelining, it was that starter Jrue Holiday stepped up to fill the void. Long known as an elite defender, he matured on offense as a legitimate and reliable second option. And with veteran Rajon Rondo serving as an ideal partner in the backcourt, he was freed of playmaking duties that seemed to hitherto wear him down. He certainly excelled in every other facet of his game; containing Blazers stalwart Damian Lillard was a collective effort, but he proved to be its fulcrum.
And so the Pelicans advance to the next phase of their inspired run. Forget about the fact that they’ll be facing the Warriors, who are much, much better than the Blazers even with two-time MVP Stephen Curry still a question mark. As far as they’re concerned, they can hang with anybody in the league. Chutzpah? Perhaps. Then again, head coach Alvin Gentry has found an eight-deep rotation that works sans Cousins, with half playing heavy, if productive, minutes. They’ve gotten far, and they’re not afraid to keep dreaming with heads held high.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
