Pelicans defying playoff odds; Heat look to advance
New Orleans is defying all the odds.
The Pelicans are the first team in 46 years to finish a season 10 or more games under .500, then go on to win at least two playoff games — and that doesn't even count the two play-in game victories just to officially reach the postseason.
The last team to pull off such a trick was the Detroit Pistons, who were 36-46 when they won four playoff games over two different series in the 1976 playoffs.
But New Orleans has changed that, and made it look easy at times.
The Pelicans went 36-46 and finished 28 games behind the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the standings this season. That doesn't matter now, not with their first-round playoff series tied 2-2 heading into the pivotal Game 5 at Phoenix tonight.
“I feel it's our time,” New Orleans' Brandon Ingram said. “We worked so hard throughout the year to become a better team.”
Also tonight, top-seeded Miami looks to close out eighth-seeded Atlanta in Game 5 of that series, and second-seeded Memphis plays host to seventh-seeded Minnesota in Game 5 of that knotted-up matchup.
Phoenix led 53-34 at halftime of Game 1 against New Orleans. The Pelicans have outscored the Suns in nine of the 14 quarters played in the series since. And in the 2 1/2 games since Phoenix lost Devin Booker to a hamstring injury, the Pelicans have outscored the Suns 277-257.
In Game 4, New Orleans rattled the top seed down the stretch. Suns guard Chris Paul had three types of fouls — personal, flagrant and technical — in a 99-second span in the fourth quarter, as the Pelicans were pulling away to a series-tying win.
“I'll be better in Game 5,” Paul said. “Gotta be.”
If not, the Suns could face an elimination game on the road in Game 6.
Trae Young is already facing one in Game 5.
Atlanta's leading scorer has more turnovers (24) than field goals (20) through four games. He took 11 shots in the Hawks' Game 4 home loss on Sunday, and 10 of them were from 3-point range.
“I'll figure it out,” Young said.
BULLS' CARUSO IN CONCUS- SION PROTOCOL >> Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso is in the NBA's concussion protocol and is questionable for Game 5 of the first-round playoff series at Milwaukee, coach Billy Donovan said Monday.
The Bucks lead 3-1 and will try to wrap up the series at home on Wednesday. Milwaukee won the past two games in Chicago by a combined 54 points.
Caruso took an inadvertent hit to the face from the Bucks' Jevon Carter while trying to get around a pick by Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the second quarter on Sunday. He exited with a bloody nose.
Arguably Chicago's best defender, Caruso was limited to 41 games in the regular season after spending his first four years with the Los Angeles Lakers. He missed seven weeks with a broken wrist following a hard foul by the Bucks' Grayson Allen during a game in Milwaukee in January.
Philadelphia center Joel Embiid was fined $15,000 for criticizing the officiating in Game 4 of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against Toronto, the NBA announced Monday.
Embiid made his remarks to reporters after a 110-102 loss on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.
For the first time in the series, the Raptors shot more free throws than the 76ers. Toronto went 28 for 35 at the line, while Philadelphia was 21 for 25 as the Raptors avoided a four-game sweep.
“I'm going to take my own advice and not complain about it,” Embiid said. “If they want to give fouls or want to call really no fouls, we've got to really make them earn it and really be physical.”
Embiid, suffering from an injured thumb on his right (shooting) hand, wore a brace and finished 7 for 16 for 21 points in 39 minutes.
Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins was also fined $15,000 fine for publicly criticizing the officiating in Game 4 of the Grizzlies' series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and said he'll decline the offer from a couple of players to cover it.
“I appreciate it, but not a chance,” Jenkins said with a smile Monday.
The NBA fined Jenkins on Monday for his comments to the media following the Grizzlies' 119-118 loss Saturday night in Minneapolis.
“I've never seen a more inconsistent, arrogant officiated game,” Jenkins said then. “It's embarrassing. I'm at a loss for words.”
The Timberwolves relentlessly attacked the basket and went 31 for 40 from the foul line. Jaren Jackson Jr. fouled out with seven points, and 25 of the Grizzlies' 33 fouls were called on their starters.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, rookie of the year in 2020, picked up his second major award in three seasons Monday, getting announced as the NBA's Most Improved Player. He is the first Grizzlies player to receive the award. Morant set career bests in scoring (27.4 points per game), rebounds (5.7), steals (1.2) and field-goal shooting (49.3%). His scoring average last season was 19.1 per game, and he made the big jump while playing basically the same amount of minutes.
“This award goes to me, but I feel like it's a team effort,” Morant said.