Thanks To An ALL-TIME Willie Green Speech The Pelicans Roared Back Against The Clippers And Are Now IN The NBA Playoffs

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Yo. What just happened? A 105-101 playoff-clinching victory by the New Orleans Pelicans, that's what!!

I used to shit on the play-in tournament. Sure, it's a bit of a money grab or whatever, but I mean, there's something to be said about two teams fighting for their playoff lives in a win-or-go-home scenario. That type of pressure cooker brings out the best in players at this level of competition, and DAMN, did this Clippers-Pelicans game swing back and forth all night.

Brandon Ingram just dominated during the first half, helping New Orleans build a 10-point lead in LA:

But let's just say we've seen this movie before.

Paul George was out for the Clippers in the health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID. Most teams would have no business being competitive in this contest, even at home. LA coach Tyronn Lue is some sort of wizard. He makes this crazy in-game adjustments and tweaks his lineups despite HUGE absences like no one I've ever really seen in modern basketball.

It's how the Clips advanced to the Conference Finals last year. It's how they staged countless rallies during the regular season. To the surprise of absolutely no one, THEY DID IT AGAIN on Friday. Between the end of the second quarter and through much of the third, the hosts rattled off a 34-6 run!! A 10-point halftime deficit turned into a 10-point lead entering the fourth. It was LIT at Staples Cen — ……….errrrrrr crypto dot com Arena.

Now here's where I deliver on what was promised. Sorry to bury the lede. It's worth the wait. I promise.

Ladies and gentlemen…I give you: Pelicans head coach Willie Green:

Yeah, after THAT shellacking in the third quarter, Coach Green was not rattled. Ty Lue was coaching circles around him at the time. Small-ball lineups, terrorizing defense, rapid switches, tenacity on the wing…the Pels were shook. They didn't know what the fuck to do. Green snapped them out of that funk — and they proceeded to outscore LA 31-17 in the final 12 minutes.

This is like on par with the DENNY GREEN THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE postgame presser…but it was DURING the game!! Usually these soundbites they play on broadcast TV offer ZERO insight and they're just a series of filler words and nothing burgers that nobody gives a flying fuck about. All the interesting tidbits go unheard.

I guess for moments like this, we have to suffer through all the pointless cliches or Basketball 101 coaching points to hear something this damn INSPIRING. 

I mean talk about getting guys to buy in. The Pelicans are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 — after starting this season 1-12. That's right. They lost 12 of their first 13 games. Green didn't waver then, and he made his players realize, entering the fourth quarter against the Clippers, how much they battled to get off the mat from that HORRIBLE start to get here. They responded. They won. It was amazing.

Next up for the Pels: A date with the Phoenix Suns. Now we start a prayer circle to manifest Zion Williamson playing in that series. That's all there really is to do going forward. But for now, CELEBRATE New Orleans! You're going to the playofffffffssssss!!!