NEW ORLEANS – When Naji Marshall caught Brandon Ingram’s pass in the right corner, he thought about shooting it. It was open enough to have a clear view, and considering the night he was having, no one would have blamed him for letting it fly.
Instead, he gave up a good shot for a great shot.
As a Sacramento Kings defender sprinted, Marshall threw a quick pass toward the wing, where fellow second unit Jose Alvarado stood alone. As soon as the ball hit Alvarado’s hands, Marshall raised three fingers and pointed them at Alvarado, as if he knew the shot was going in.
Splash.
“These are winning plays,” center Jonas Valančiūnas said.
Alvarado’s three gave the New Orleans Pelicans a 20-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and drew the loudest roar of the night from a Smoothie King Center crowd, overwhelmed with joy – and relief. New Orleans earned a 105-98 victory over the Kings to move into 8th place in the Western Conference. As a result, the Pelicans will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs, with the first game scheduled for Sunday in Oklahoma City.
Alvarado’s dagger, which effectively ended Sacramento’s season and gave the Pelicans their sixth win over the Kings this campaign, summed up the Pelicans’ victory on a night they were desperate to salvage this season and the reputation of the current group.
With Zion Williamson out due to a hamstring strain he suffered in Tuesday’s Play-In loss to the Lakers, all eyes were on Brandon Ingram and what he could do to saving the Pelicans from another year ending with a painful injury. While Ingram certainly had moments of brilliance en route to 24 points, six rebounds and six assists, Friday’s victory hinged on contributions from the players that usually surround the Big 3 in New Orleans.
The Kings stars appeared. De’Aaron Fox had 35 points and Domantas Sabonis added 24 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists. Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum had his second straight off night, totaling just seven points on 3-of-8 shooting.
But it was a night for underdogs, names that aren’t often mentioned on national television. It’s a reality the Pelicans know all too well, and they have a roster filled with quality players who fit that description.
While Zion, Ingram and McCollum are striking names, the Pelicans’ depth was the driving force behind their 49-win season. When New Orleans was rolling, any of the top 10 players in their rotation could win a game. This is one of the main characteristics that differentiates this group from other playoff teams in the West. It’s no coincidence that Zion and Ingram enjoyed the greatest team success of their respective careers while also seeing a significant decline in their scoring production.
The remarkable play of Williamson and McCollum in the final month of the season, especially after Ingram’s knee injury, temporarily took the Pelicans away from their identity. But they came back in force on Friday, with their backs to the wall. Marshall, Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. combined for 34 points off the bench and each posted double-digit plus-minus ratings. Trey Murphy, a reserve who took Williamson’s starting spot, contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
“Our bench was really good. They make up a large part of our team. They are a big part of what we do. We’re counting on their speed (and) their ability to turn the game around,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “They are all important to what we do. It’s refreshing to see the results. And the results are back in the playoffs.
After Friday’s win, Nance referred to this usual unit of four bench players as the “Core Four.” This four-man group has built chemistry together over the past three seasons and their skills complement each other well. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Pelicans have outscored teams by 19.4 points per 100 possessions in the regular season when these four share the court. Take Murphy out of the mix, and the three-man group of Marshall, Alvarado and Nance has outscored opponents by 14.6 points per 100 possessions when playing together.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Nance said of playing with the bench units. “I love these guys. Playing on the same field as them, it’s just energy, energy, energy and fight. This is what this team needs.
Marshall and Alvarado are pests as on-ball defenders, and Nance is as solid as they are as backline defenders. These three consistently created turnovers against opposing teams, which allowed New Orleans to play in transition. Those four, combined with starter Herb Jones and second-year reserve Dyson Daniels, allow the Pelicans to throw a variety of defensive looks at their opponents.
#NotOnGrass ➡️3J pic.twitter.com/27KSYERhnF
– New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 20, 2024
REFUSED BY INGRAM
The grass splashes him
IT’S STRONG pic.twitter.com/6ipFKOHvdF
– New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 20, 2024
Marshall’s play in Friday’s win was especially encouraging for his teammates after seeing him fall out of the rotation in recent games. Instead of sulking over his lack of minutes, Marshall seized his opportunity Friday and never looked back. His physicality and fearlessness set New Orleans on fire from the moment he stepped on the floor. He finished the night with 11 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block in 24 minutes.
Marshall might not even get regular playing time in a playoff series if Zion were healthy. However, having him as a sort of enforcer coming off the bench proved surprisingly valuable.
“I can’t wait to see him in that playoff atmosphere.” He’s the type of player who thrives on that,” Nance said. (He’s) physical, selfless, he just brings energy.
Marshall could be especially useful in a series against the Thunder, while having as many defensive options as possible to throw at MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be important. Marshall will undoubtedly have a turn — along with Jones, Alvarado, Murphy and several others — against one of the NBA’s most potent scorers. Oklahoma City has done a good job taking care of the ball all season, but the more Marshall, Alvarado and Jones can apply pressure in half-court sets, the easier it will be to knock Oklahoma City out of its rhythm.
It would also help if the Pelicans got Friday’s version of Valančiūnas. The veteran center has his speed limitations, but with Williamson out, the Pelicans need his interior presence and ability to command a double team in the post. He provided an excellent counter to fellow Lithuanian Sabonis on Friday, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes. A matchup against athletic Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren may not be as advantageous, but Valančiūnas’ offensive reliability can be invaluable when New Orleans struggles to score.
“He’s just a professional. Not just in this game but throughout the season,” Ingram said of Valančiūnas. “He doesn’t touch the floor sometimes in the second half, he’s not in the game as much. … It’s hard to do when you’ve been in the league so long and you’ve been producing for so long. For him to come out and be ready tonight was huge.
As the Pelicans quickly turn the page to prepare for the start of the playoffs, they will need significant contributions from up and down their roster to have a chance. With Williamson expected to miss at least the first two games of the series, they won’t have the best player on the field. But the Pelicans believe they still have a chance to spring a surprise by attacking the Thunder in waves rather than falling into a 1-on-1 duel.
They are also, in one way or another, the most experienced team on this scene. When the Pelicans made the 2022 playoffs, Jones, Alvarado and Murphy were all rookies, and Marshall was in his second season as a professional. Ingram was also a playoff newcomer in 2022, and while he played some of the best basketball of his life in the team’s six-game first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns, he would also admit that he had left some opportunities on the table due to his inexperience.
Two years later, that same Pelicans core, without an injured Williamson, hopes to use those lessons to pose a bigger threat to the talented, but young-seeded Thunder than most realize.
“We were just happy to be in the playoffs,” Murphy said of his experience in 2022. “This year we’re trying to make a run. I would say we are a lot more experienced and have been through a lot more as a group. We are ready to run.
(Top photo by Naji Marshall and Jose Alvarado)