Potent offense complements Pelican’s stellar defense.
NEW ORLEANS – There seems to be no stopping the Pelicans. New Orleans dismantled the struggling Blazers–again–on Thursday night, this time by a score of 119-102.
Nikola Mirotic scored a career playoff-high 30 points, Anthony Davis added 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo are playing really well.
It all adds up to this: the Pelicans are now just one win away from advancing to the second round.
“I never thought I’d score 30 or something like that,” Mirotic said. “I’m just trying to play simple. If I have a shot, take a shot, so I need to give credit to my teammates. It’s just about the team. It’s about winning.”
Mirotic isn’t alone in his offensive outburst. He’s the third Pelican to score 30 points or more in the series. Davis had 35 in Game 1 and Holiday scored 33 in Game 2.
The Pelicans’ defense is coming through, too. Portland firebrands Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who combined for nearly 50 points a night during the regular season, are averaging more than ten points less against New Orleans.
The Pelicans are frustrating Lillard. “They’re making me give the ball up,” he said. “This is a different coverage than I’ve seen at any point in my career. It’s two or three layers of defense. It’s tough to play against, man.”
Now it’s on to Game 4 in New Orleans. The tip is set for 5 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon.
