August 3rd - New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies - 0-2 - Bubble Game 3

[Pelicanidae]

A new opportunity awaits 🙏 #PelicansGameDay

🏀: vs Memphis
⌚: 5:30 pm CT
📺: @FOXSportsNOLA & @espn
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA
📱: Pelicans App#WontBowDown | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/pjdLsTKpIA

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 3, 2020

No talking about last game; it was an embarrassment, move on.

Ingram said in the post-game interview that we really can't lose any games now; it has to be almost flawless to have any chance at the playoffs. He's right. He also said that we have to come out in the next game with urgency. He's right.

Tonight we take on the Grizzlies, and we cannot afford to lose this game. It's just not something we can do.

We need to come out and take our first win of the bubble, and it needs to be definitive. Luckily, we've already smashed the Grizz 2 times in the regular season, so the team should have some confidence in themselves, but they also need to understand that this is not a game they can cruise in: they have to come out serious, focused, and ready to take a win.

That's really all I'm going to say. Let's go and do it.

[AD-AT]

Biggest thing is to make it out of the first quarter with only a few turnovers. Can't give the game away in the first 4 min.

[Pelicanidae]

Biggest thing is to make it out of the first quarter with only a few turnovers. Can't give the game away in the first 4 min.

Not sure if it is the biggest thing, but it's definitely up there.

Top 3 priorities, I would say:

1) Actually taking advantage of mismatches and running real offense to exploit them
2) Defense actually communicating and moving with confidence
3) Keeping hold of the ball and not turning it over 8 times in the quarter

Which means our big three things to fix after the last two games are the offense, the defense, and our discipline. Nothing major, then.

[Taker597]

So, we already know No Zion, right?

We still got a chance.

[Creative]

This game is a MUST win for us!

[UNO Gracias]

This isn’t a must win, but it is a can’t lose.

[13 - 3]

We are tanking if Zion gets restrained minutes.

#TrustTheProcess
#FireGentry
#Pelslife

[da ThRONe]

We lose we're done.

[Pelicanidae]

We lose we're done.

Basically.

We knew coming in that we'd likely have to go something like 6-2 to make it. Starting off 0-3 is literally the worst we could do lol

[Taker597]

I think we got it. We always start season with slow starts, before waking up.

[As I See It]

Start Hart or JJ and let Zion play the last five minutes of each quarter.

[Pelicanidae]

If New Orleans closes 6-0, then _______________ needs to go _____ to stay ahead of them:
Memphis: 3-5
Portland: 6-2
San Antonio: 7-1 (their only loss would be the game vs New Orleans) https://t.co/mjOO5SSf3L

— Lucas Hann (@LucasJHann) August 3, 2020

[msusousaphone]

Playoff atmosphere.......if there were fans, lol.

If this one goes south......I'll be needing a lot of mindfulness exercises.

[Taker597]

If New Orleans closes 6-0, then _______________ needs to go _____ to stay ahead of them:
Memphis: 3-5
Portland: 6-2
San Antonio: 7-1 (their only loss would be the game vs New Orleans) https://t.co/mjOO5SSf3L

— Lucas Hann (@LucasJHann) August 3, 2020

This is for the 8th seed, right?

[Pelicanidae]

Must win tonight for the @PelicansNBA ! New Orleans Starters:
Ball
Holiday
Ingram
Williamson
Favors

Memphis Starters:
Morant
Brooks
Anderson
Jackson Jr.
Valanciunas

— Jennifer Hale (@JenHale504) August 3, 2020

[Pelicanidae]

This is for the 8th seed, right?

Nope, just to stay ahead of us at all. Portland, if it goes 6-2, beats us to 9th seed as well, for example. If we go 6-2, Portland has to go 5-3.

[HartOfaPelican]

For the love of god just show up tonight! Show some passion and energy.

I feel like Favors starting is a bad idea. I like Melli in there to spread the floor for Zion.

That being said. Really need Jrue to show up tonight. I don’t feel like bashing him all game again tonight.

[Pelicanidae]

Lonzo starts with a three.

[Pelicanidae]

Pretty decent movement from Zion there, good contest even though the pin-down was blocking his rotation

[Freyfamilyreuni]

Is it just me or do the Pels seem to be falling a lot on this court?

[Pelicanidae]

Zion gets clearly fouled twice, no call lol

[Pelicanidae]

Got fouled again, they finally call it that time

[msusousaphone]

Does it seem like there's been a lot more slips in this tourney? Is the floor different?

EDIT: Frey beat me to it.

[Taker597]

Zion is thicc...

4 on 5 basketball seems to hurt Zion the most. He needs spacing.

[Pelicanidae]

That was a mess of a transition opportunity lol.

I love that the Grizz response to Zion's existence is just ''literally slam into him from 3 directions, refs won't call it dw''

and they're right, refs will not call it