Pelicans coach Gentry lauds late owner Benson’s efforts
NEW ORLEANS — For the first home game since the death of Pelicans owner Tom Benson, his initials were added to the team’s home uniforms, a fitting tribute considering Benson’s role in keeping the team in New Orleans.
“It means everything,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “Obviously, this team could be somewhere else right now if it wasn’t for him.
“Just the fact that he stepped in and bought this team and was determined to keep it here in New Orleans says a lot about what he felt about the community, about the state, about the people here, the sports fans and everything.
“It’s a big deal having an NBA team in your city. It’s a great tribute to his thinking and his vision of this being a big-time sports town.”
Benson, who was 90, died Thursday.
He purchased the Pelicans in 2012 from the NBA’s control to keep the team from being sold to interests outside of New Orleans.
D’Antoni boys’ bragging rights
When Marshall University coach Dan D’Antoni, the older brother of Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, celebrated his team’s win Friday by sending a message to Mike, many thought he was suggesting his team could beat the Rockets.
“Everybody kind of took it wrong. He wasn’t talking about the Rockets,” Mike said. “We’re crazy. We’re not that crazy.”
In his postgame interview Dan said, “Tell my brother we beat his team.”
“I always held it over his head that my ’72 team went to the NCAA; his team only went to the NIT,” Mike said. “Now, I can’t do that.
“It’s going to be a long summer.
“It’s great. He’s done an unbelievable job. He does it the right way. He’s got great kids. More than anything, their GPA is over 3 point. Just a lot of great things.”
Pelicans facing schedule oddity
The Pelicans, locked in a tight race for one of the last Western Conference playoff spots, took the unusual step of sitting out starting point guard Rajon Rondo for rest.
That was in part because of the even more unusual schedule this week with the Pelicans playing three games in three nights because of the even rarer circumstance of a rained-out game.
The Pelicans will play the second half of a backto-back against Boston on Sunday before meeting the Mavericks, Pacers and Lakers on Tuesday through Thursday.
The Pacers game was rescheduled from Feb. 7 because of leaks in the Smoothie King Center roof during a storm.
Saturday’s game against the Rockets was the first Rondo has missed since Dec. 8, with Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry citing the stretch of five games in six nights for the decision to hold him out.
“He’s a little fatigued and he’s a little sore,” Gentry said. “I just think this is a good time to give him a (rest).
“He’s had a few days now, and he’ll have tonight (to rest), and he’ll be ready tomorrow.”
Odds and ends
The Rockets are 55-14 and need four victories in their last 13 games to finish with the best regularseason record in franchise history, surpassing the 1993-94 club that went 58-24. … They improved to 37-2 when James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela are in the lineup.
Jonathan Feigen